


Always Remember

by fandommatchmaker19



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-09-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 56,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23189176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandommatchmaker19/pseuds/fandommatchmaker19
Summary: "I'll remember. I'll always remember."Those were the last words he said to her, and even though he meant them, he never thought they would actually become the literal truth.After a white-light encounter with his old lover, Cassandra, Sebastian finds the resolve to escape the prison world. Except, when he returns to the real world, he finds out that Elizabeth and almost everyone else except for Hope Mikaelson, had forgotten he existed. Feeling lost and alone without Elizabeth, he feels torn between fighting for Elizabeth, for a second chance and givign her a chance to be with a better man.Meanwhile, Lizzie Saltzman feels like something is missing, like a piece of her is missing despite being surrounded by people who love her. Until, it turns out the mysterious blue-eyed, dark-haired vampire with a dark past, is that missing piece.Will Sebastian and Lizzie come back to each other? Can Sebastian be the better man, or is it too late? Will Lizzie remember?
Relationships: Ethan Machado/Lizzie Saltzman, Hope Mikaelson & Sebastian, Hope Mikaelson/Landon Kirby, Lizzie Saltzman/Sebastian
Comments: 8
Kudos: 115





	1. Second Chances

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I know it's been a while, and I wanted to have this up earlier, but I've been really busy with school and running a society, so I didn't have the time. But, here it is. My fix-it for episode 2x13. I will update whennever I can, but hope to do it often. If there's one side to social distancing and self-isolation, it's the time for fanfiction. Oh, and one more thing. Please don't be rude in your comments and don't demand updates. I don't appreciate that.  
> Be well and safe and enjoy!  
> xx

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So, this work is currently undergoing editing as I'm reading it with fresh eyes (no beta) and decided to change a few things about it, nothing major such as characters/plot. I've edited chapters 1-4 and plan to do so with 5&6 before I continue updating! Enjoy!

The alcohol burned in his throat as he took another sip, his eyes still trained on the spot Elizabeth had occupied mere seconds ago. Her last words to him rang in his ears, even though he didn’t intend to follow her advice. He did his best to commit her every feature to his memory, though he knew it would be impossible to forget Elizabeth Saltzman, and his mind was flooded with memories. [The first time they met. Their first kiss. Every time Elizabeth tried to show him the wonders of the modern world. Every time they touched. Every time they would simply lie together, holding each other. Every time she smiled at him]. Their first and last dance. He had messed up. It was supposed to be their perfect day, but when his fears of losing her had overcome him, he had acted rashly. And then, he’d lost her. And now, it was over and she would remember how their perfect day had been ruined. How _he_ had ruined it. Sebastian sighed again heavily, and took another sip of the bourbon, letting it burn his throat as tears prickled at his eyes before spilling down his cheeks, but he didn’t move to wipe them away as he continued to drink, a foolish part of him thinking that it would somehow make this more bearable.

He looked up as the house continued to become more unstable and the ground shook beneath him, and he hoped the end would be near. Part of him considered getting up and going to find this Triad Industries building, but he couldn’t bring himself to. [Perhaps he deserved to die after everything he had done, all the people he had hurt. After what he’d done to her, how he’d hurt _her_ ]. He gripped the floor as the ground continued to shake before a strong force knocked him to the ground.

Ironically, there was a flash of white light before he found himself in front of a lake, on a peaceful, midsummer day, and he let out a sigh of relief, wondering if he had somehow been found worthy of peace. [Or, if his subconscious was playing tricks on him].

“Sebastian?” He turned at the voice, and froze. Even in death, she looked lovely as ever, her green eyes sparkling and her hair falling in ringlets that framed her face. She was wearing a beautiful dark green dress, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“Cassandra?” he muttered, half-astonished, half-relieved, standing up and making his way towards her. “Am I dead?” he asked, for the second time that night, though to a different woman. She met his gaze and they stood, mere inches from each other, neither of them quite moving. And then, her face broke into a grin and he smiled back before rushing to catch her as she threw herself into his arms, wrapping her own arms around his neck. He breathed out a relieved sigh because she felt exactly the same in his arms and he relished in the comfort her body pressed against his offered. Finally, they pulled away from each other, and he released her before reaching to cup her cheeks, feeling tears prickle at his eyes. “It’s you, Cassandra,” he said softly, smiling, and she smiled back through her own tears. “I am so sorry for everything that happened. I’m sorry you died because of me, that you gave me a second chance and I wasted it I- I am so sorry, please forgive me…” he said, and tears spilled down his cheeks. She reached for him, cupping his cheeks with her own hands, her fingers wiping away the tears delicately.

“Please don’t apologize, my love. I’ve never regretted giving you a second chance. Not when it led you to your soulmate,” she said softly, and he froze, his breath hitching in his throat. “Oh, come on, love… we were in love and it was beautiful and perfect, but we’re not each other’s soulmates. I’m not your soulmate, Sebastian. Elizabeth is. She’s a firecracker,” Cassandra smiled sadly. He didn’t say anything in response, not quite trusting himself and instead smiled a little.

“I don’t… I don’t understand why- why don’t you hate me for all I’ve done? Elizabeth does after all I did to her and I deserve it-” he cut himself off, swallowing back tears, but Cassandra just shook her head.

“I don’t hate you, darling. Neither does Elizabeth. I love you. I always have and I always will. Which is why I want you to be happy. Even if it means it’s with another, even if it means I’m not your soulmate, I just want you to be happy,” she smiled at him, and sniffled a little as she continued to rub her thumb along his jaw. [He could stay here with her. Yes, he would lose the chance to try to make it up to Elizabeth, but he would be with Cassandra. Cassandra who loves him and it would be simple].

“I- I can stay, Cassandra. I don’t wish to go back, especially not to Elizabeth’s world as much as I care for her. I can stay with you and we can spend eternity together. It would be so simple…” he said softly, reaching for her once again, laying his hands on top of hers, relishing in her soothing touch. [He’d never thought he’d get to be with her again, and missing out on the possibility of some chance with Elizabeth who, still, might not forgive him seemed worth it]. A soft breeze blew, causing Cassandra’s delicate dress to swirl around her ankles. [She was beautiful, even after all this time, she still took his breath away. Still, she did not hold a candle to Elizabeth, he realized and felt a pang of hurt in his chest as he stared back into her green eyes, already missing Elizabeth’s blue ones].

“It would be. Alas, all good things are not. I told you, we are not each other’s soulmates. Turns out, I met mine here. And, your soulmate is waiting for you. And, I know the real world is terrifying and horrible, but Elizabeth is neither and she does care about you. In time, the two of you will fall in love, and you’ll be happy,” Cassandra smiled, but he couldn’t say anything. [Because, really, what would he say?] Instead he just nodded, letting his hands drop to her waist as he continued to gaze into her eyes.

“You are too good, Cass,” he whispered softly, using the nickname he’d given her centuries earlier, and she smiled fondly. “Too good for me. Funny thing is, so is Elizabeth. And, I don’t deserve it- either you,” he muttered, dropping his head, but Cassandra, still cupping his cheeks, lifted his head up, forcing him to meet her gaze.

“Oh Sebastian, life has truly been unkind to you if you don’t see that you aren’t worthy of a second chance. You are. And, I don’t know how to make you see it. But, it doesn’t matter-” he cut her off then, confused.

“What do you mean?” he enquired, furrowing his eyebrows. “Cassandra what… what are saying?” he demanded, and wondered if it was possible for his heart to beat out of his chest even if he was dead. 

“I’m sorry, darling, I didn’t mean to sound harsh. But, we- you are running out of time. You need to wake up and go to Fort Valley, Georgia. And, you need to jump into that black pit and get out,” she told him firmly. When he opened his mouth to protest, she didn’t let him, “look, love, together with other witches I’ll keep the prison world from collapsing, but you need to go to Fort Valley, Georgia. You need to go where Elizabeth told you. You need to make it in time,” she added seriously, and he nodded, the image of Elizabeth flashing back in his mind. Her smile. Her deep blue eyes that could sometimes see into the deeper parts of himself. Her laugh. Her witty remarks. The way she saw good in him. [He’d hurt her yes, but he did care about her, a lot. Maybe even more than cared for her. He needed to fix this despite not deserving a second chance. Because, for some reason he wanted it. Wanted _her_ ]. Cassandra noticed the change in his expression, realizing that finally he’d decided, and she pulled away from him, but he couldn’t let her go, not yet.

“Wait,” he said, and she stopped, turning back to face him. “I… I, uh, I don’t know how to say goodbye to you. I don’t know how to thank you,” he admitted, reaching to cup her cheek. Cassandra smiles in response.

“You… you don’t have to, love. You don’t have to say anything-” she protested, shaking her head, but he stopped her.

“Yes, I do. I owe you so much, my darling Cass… You gave me not one, but two second chances. And, I don’t deserve either, but somehow you won’t give up. I always did admire that about you. And, now I must return to Elizabeth to- to make things right with her. And, I just- I just need you to know that I never stopped loving you, Cassandra. And, I never stopped blaming myself for what happened. I don’t think I ever will. But, I’ve realized that I can fall in love with Elizabeth, that she is my second chance at life, at love, at… everything. And, as much as I don’t deserve her, I do want her. I want that second chance. And, I can’t be trapped in the past if I wish to move on with her. So, this is goodbye,” he finished, his voice soft, rubbing his thumb against her cheek. For the second time since their reunion, Cassandra’s green eyes shone with unshed tears, yet she smiled bravely at him, nodding slightly as she wound her own arms around his neck, pulling him close. He dropped his hands from her face, instead wrapping them around her as he embraced her tightly, taking comfort in the feel of holding her in his arms, if only for one last time. Finally, they pulled away, and he knew he must go. “I will always love you,” he told her, filled with a renewed sense of determination. Cassandra grinned.

“I will always love you, too, Sebastian,” she replied before finally tilting her head up and pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, her lips gentle against his. Then, she pulled away and stepped away from him. “Time to go,” she told him. “I will keep that prison world going until you make it out. But you must make hurry. Understood?” He nodded, feeling numb.

His eyes snapped open seemingly seconds later, and he was gasping for breath. The last thing he could recall was the feeling of Cassandra’s soft lips against his. [Cassandra. She’d given him time, a second chance. Again. And, he wasn’t about to waste it]. Shakily, he stood up, his gaze drifting around the living room of the house. According to Elizabeth, this house was what became the Salvatore School, and prior to that it used to be occupied by the Salvatore brothers. However, in this world, he was alone, yet remnants of their life remained all around him. He assumed so did the nice bottle of bourbon he’d intended to drown his sorrows with as he waited for his death. Now, he dropped said bottle on the floor, took one last glance around the room and bolted outside.

Somehow, despite not knowing where he was or where he was supposed to go, save for a name, he managed to vamp-speed his way to Fort Valley, Georgia, as if something was pulling him there. [Perhaps, using his vampire speed and not one of those vessels on wheels like the one Elizabeth had driven in when they’d gone to recover Landon might have been a better idea, but he did not know how to drive one. So, he’d gone with the safer bet. For him, at least]. Somehow, almost as if in a trance he made his way into Triad Industries, and to the black pit. His mind was spinning with memories, all the reasons he was doing this, filling him with determination, and a need to get back to Elizabeth Saltzman. Because she was the only reason he needed. And so, he jumped.

* * *

He wasn’t exactly sure how long he stayed inside the black pit – Malivore – but he was sure some time had passed. Or, perhaps no time at all. [It was dark. And, he kept walking in circles, his mind faraway, thinking about Elizabeth. Somehow, since she vanished in the prison world, his mind clung to the memory of her, almost desperately, playing those memories on repeat like a broken record]. However, when Malivore finally expelled him, he found himself in a field, and it was definitely not where he had expected to find himself. At first, he thought it was the same field as the one in the prison world where he’d become the anchor, but then realized it’s not. And, that it’s nowhere near Mystic Falls. It was almost nighttime, so he decided to return to Mystic Falls, to Elizabeth the same way he’d made it to Triad Industries in the prison world.

When he finally stopped running, dawn is about to break, and he was slightly exhausted from running all the way, his body colliding with another before hitting the ground. He heard a shriek, and he rolled over only to find himself face to face with Hope Mikaelson, who was standing and looking none too thrilled to see him.

“Hope?” he whispered softly, almost stunned. [Part of him thought this had all been a dream, or that he was still trapped in the prison world. He didn’t really know the tribrid, daughter of Klaus Mikaelson, the evillest vampire to have ever lived, but Elizabeth had often spoken of her and he knew she and Elizabeth were good friends. In a way, it was nice to see a familiar face].

“Sebastian?” the tribrid asked, staring at him in shock. “What the hell are you doing here?” she demanded, extending a hand to him which he took gratefully. 

“I- it’s a long story…” he trailed off, not quite sure where to start, or whether he even wanted to share it.

“I’ve got time,” Hope quipped, crossing her arms, and he sighed, realizing that she wasn’t going to let it go. He ran a hand through his hair as he leaned against one of the trees surrounding them. [They were in a clearing of sorts, close to the school, he could sense it, though he didn’t know exactly where they were].

He sighed, nodding in defeat, and she raised an expectant eyebrow at him, motioning for him to start. “Right,” he muttered drily. “Well, how much do you know?” he asked her, part of him hoping Elizabeth had said something.

“Uh, when they got out, Josie told Lizzie that you became the anchor. And, Dr. Saltzman mentioned that you pushed him into the magical door and saved him. So, I guess I know that…” she paused, running a hand through her hair. “We- I was a bit preoccupied that night with- with Landon. Because I had a choice to make and I didn’t choose him. And, he ended up saving himself and Dorian, so,” she shrugged, her lips curving into a small smile. He nodded for her to keep going. “Anyways, once I knew Landon was okay and managed to get a few seconds with Lizzie, I asked about you and she told me- well, she gave me the cliff notes version of what happened between you guys in the prison world. Of course, none of that really mattered because we realized the prison world was going to collapse soon, so she- Josie helped her astral project to say goodbye to you. And, I left to go be with Landon. We didn’t talk and at one point I tried bringing it up, but…” she paused and shrugged. He nodded. “Okay, now it’s your turn,” she quipped, pursing her lips, her gaze fixated on him.

“Uh, after Elizabeth vanished, I… I just sat there as the prison world was collapsing. I wasn’t- I wasn’t planning on following her advice. I deserved to- to be there as it fell apart. I didn’t deserve to make it out. But… I- somehow I… I ended up deciding to escape. Because suddenly all I wanted was to be back here. Back to Elizabeth. I don’t know how I found the strength in me, but I made it to that black pit and I jumped in. There was darkness, and I believe I was stuck there for a while. And, then something yanked me out. I woke up in this world and eventually came back here,” he told her, leaving out the part about dying and seeing Cassandra. Partly because he didn’t quite know if he believed it himself, and partly because he didn’t quite know the Mikaelson girl aside from what Elizabeth had told him.

“Sounds about right,” she quipped, shrugging again. An uncomfortable silence settled between them as they just stood there, him leaning against the tree, her just standing there, arms crossed over her chest. Finally, Hope spoke up, “so, what are you gonna do now?” she asked him, looking at him curiously. “I mean-” he cut her off, instantly knowing his answer.

“Elizabeth. I need to see her,” he blurted out, pushing himself off the tree trunk. Hope’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to continue, but immediately knew there was something wrong. “I- I need to make things right with her. I really… I really messed things up,” he said softly, a hint of emotion in his voice, as his mind drifted back to the beautiful blonde with eyes he could easily get lost in and a fiery personality.

“Uh, about that…” Hope cut in cautiously, trailing off with hesitation. He looked back at her, and realization set in like a heavy weight, and his face fell.

“She doesn’t remember me, does she?” he guessed as he sunk to the ground, though he already knew the answer, and his heart ached.

“That’s Malivore for you,” Hope quipped sarcastically before stopping herself. “No, she doesn’t. Sorry,” she said softly, walking over and sitting down beside him. “I know exactly how it feels,” she added, resting a hand on his shoulder. He glanced at her, surprised at the gesture, before realizing what she meant.

“Oh. Yes. Elizabeth told me how you jumped into Malivore to save everyone and then when you returned they’d all forgotten you,” he said and she nodded.

“Yup. Including the boy I love,” she shrugged sadly. “But, it’s fine. They all remember me now, and Landon and I are back together.”

“How come you remember me?” he asked as they continue to sit there.

“Oh. Well, I am a tribrid, part wolf, part vampire and part witch. Malivore was created with the blood of a witch, a wolf and a vampire. I’m kind of anti-Malivore. So, the memory wipe doesn’t really work on me. It’s why I jumped in. Except, my vampire side isn’t active, so Malivore just kicked me out. Or, at least, that’s the theory,” she half-scoffed, half-chuckled.

“I see,” he muttered, still somewhat lost in thought. “Well, it’s nice to see a familiar face,” he added, smiling slightly.

“Yeah. I, uh, I’m glad you made it out. Anyways, I need to get back to Landon. And, you need to figure out what you’re gonna do because you can’t hide in the woods forever,” she said as she stood up, dusting off her clothes. She extended her hand to him, and he took it gratefully, standing up.

“Thanks,” he muttered. 

“Yeah. Right, I’ll see you later,” the tribrid said, heading in the direction of the school before she stopped and turned back to face him. “Look, when I got back from Malivore and realized that no one knew I existed and Landon had moved on, I… I felt really alone. It gets really lonely, trust me. So, if you need to talk, let me know. I’m here,” she added softly, flashing him a quick smile.

“Yeah, right. Thank you, Hope. I don’t quite deserve your kindness, but thank you,” he responded, his lips curling into a small smile.

* * *

Hope had left him to go back to her flying Phoenix boyfriend, so he’d just wondered around in the direction of the Old Mill. Apparently, there had been a party at the Old Mill the night before, and bottles of alcohol were lying around. He was a little surprised to find a bottle of the bourbon he really liked, from the prison world that is, and he chuckled when he found a note taped to it.

_Sebastian, I know you need this. Just don’t let anyone find it. – H.M._

It was written in a messy scrawl, and he couldn’t help but chuckle fondly. Even though they didn’t really know each other, and even though he wasn’t planning on staying – not yet, at least – there was potential for companionship with the Mikaelson girl. [And, he really needed someone these days. Not someone to replace Elizabeth. No one ever would. Just someone to keep him sane, someone who understood him]. He grabbed the bottle as he wondered around the Old Mill, his feet kicking away the remnants of the party before he made his way out into the woods, bottle still in hand, though he didn’t open it. Yet. Eventually, he decided to stop wondering around and returned to the Old Mill where he stashed the bottle away so no one would find it before vamp-speeding into town. It was evening and the sun had already set, and Sebastian wasn’t even sure what he was doing in town. Part of his brain reminded him that Elizabeth often liked coming into town, but he shut that part down quickly, his feet kicking around dirt as he walked around aimlessly. And then, he heard laughter and froze. When he looked again across the street, he saw her, and his stomach dropped.

She was sitting at a table at the Mystic Grill, a place the townspeople liked to spend time at. [She’d taken him there once, before her father had made him take those tests to see if he would be staying at the school or not. He’d enjoyed spending an entire day with her, copulating and getting to know each other before she took him to the Mystic Grill in the evening. It was to change the scenery, she’d told him. Though, part of him wondered if she was trying to test him, to see if he could manage not feeding on people around him]. He smiled fondly at the memory, before he was brought back to the present, and he sighed heavily. The first thing he noticed was that Elizabeth wasn’t alone, and the second was that she was with someone he did not know of. It was a young man with messy brown hair and a kind smile, but his main characteristic was that he was human. He couldn’t recall Elizabeth ever mentioning the human boy, so he continued to observe them.

“Thanks for dinner,” Elizabeth said, smiling softly at him. Their hands were resting on the table, mere inches from touching, and Sebastian felt an unfamiliar tightening in his chest.

“Of course. This was nice, right?” the boy grinned and Sebastian has to grip the tree he was leaning against.

“Yeah, it was,” she smiled again as the guy’s hand drifted closer to hers. “I had a good time, Ethan.” Ethan. Briefly, he couldn’t help but wonder what exactly Ethan was to her, but part of him already knew. And then, it was Elizabeth who finally closed the gap between their hands, taking Ethan’s hand and lacing her fingers with his, and Sebastian could feel his chest tighten again. “Thank you,” the blonde said softly, leaning slightly closer.

“Should we get out of here? I’ll walk you to your car,” Ethan asked softly, and even from the distance he could see Elizabeth smile and nod. Sebastian continued to watch them as they paid before both stood up, their hands still intertwined. Elizabeth shivered as the cool breeze blew around them, and Ethan took off his jacket before putting it on her shoulders, wrapping one arm around her as they started to walk to wherever Elizabeth had parked her car. For a second though, they stopped, and Elizabeth turned to Ethan, and Sebastian froze, his stomach dropping. [He couldn’t take this. But, part of him was glad she had someone, that she was happy. And, part of him hated it and hated himself for ruining what they had].

“It was a really nice day, Ethan, thanks,” Elizabeth said softly before leaning forward and kissing him. And, Sebastian felt like kicking the tree he’d been leaning against, and tearing down the entire town square. But, he didn’t. Instead, he stood up and vamp-sped back to the school, to the Old Mill, where he grabbed the bottle before making his way to the deck, hoping for some peace and quiet.

The alcohol burned his throat, but he didn’t care. [Maybe he deserved it, after everything he’d done, to watch Elizabeth move on with another, with someone a million times better than him, someone who wasn’t damaged, who hadn’t been tortured or abused, someone who wasn’t a monster. But, he couldn’t help but hate that she was moving on, he couldn’t help still wanting her]. Soft thuds behind him alerted him to someone else’s presence, and when he looked up, he found Hope peering down at him.

“Hope,” he sighed, running a hand through his hair.

“Hey,” the tribrid said softly before plopping down beside him, tucking her feet to her side. “You looked kind of lonely,” she smiled softly.

“Well, I am alone,” he quipped cynically, and she rolled her eyes as he took another sip.

“What happened?” she asked, motioning to the bottle. He simply shrugged, and took another sip. It didn’t take long for Hope to realize though, and she rested her hand on his shoulder. “You saw Lizzie.” It wasn’t a question, but he still nodded. “I’m guessing you saw her with Ethan?” she asked when he didn’t say anything, and he just took another sip as Hope patted his back. “I’m sorry. That sucks, I know how you feel,” she added softly, and he managed to look up and smile gratefully before returning to looking out over the lake.

“She’s moving on, isn’t she? I mean, of course she is… she can’t even remember me. I should be happy she’s happy. But, I just- I just wish it wasn’t with someone else. Because, if she’s moving on with someone else, I don’t stand a chance. Because she deserves better than me,” he finally said, his voice thick with emotion as Hope continued to rub his shoulder.

“He’s a good guy, you know? Ethan. He’s nice and decent-” he cut her off, not quite wanting to hear her say it.

“A better man, I know. I figured,” he sighed, and took another sip.

“I’m sorry,” Hope repeated, and when he met her gaze, he could see she truly was. Silence descended between them as they both gazed out over the lake, both of them lost in thought. As it was usual, Sebastian’s mind was fixated on Elizabeth, trying to reconcile with the idea that she was moving on. After a while, Hope finally broke the silence, “so, what are you gonna do?” she asked, dropping her hand on the deck between them before resting her head on his shoulder. Sebastian sighed as he takes another sip of the bourbon, the burn no longer something new.

“I don’t know,” he muttered, still looking out over the lake, and the comfortable envelops them once again as he continued to ponder his predicament.

“I know how you feel,” Hope muttered after a while. “When I got back from Malivore… this place- the school was the first place I came to. I needed to see everyone here, especially Landon. God, I’d missed him so much. But, when I returned it was- it was too late. He was- I saw him and Josie,” she chuckled, almost bitterly. “They looked so happy,” she added, and when he glanced over at her, he noticed there were tears shining in her eyes. “I didn’t- I couldn’t…” she trailed off and sighed. “We’re together now, so I guess…” she paused, and reached to wipe the tear that had slid down her cheek, “it doesn’t really matter, but I- look, I know how you feel,” she remarked, letting out a soft half-chuckle, playfully rolling her eyes. He just pursed his lips and forced a small smile.

“Thank you,” he whispered softly as he continued to look out over the lake, his mind drifting back to a certain blonde with blue eyes.


	2. "Hello, Elizabeth..."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever since they'd returned from the prison world, Lizzie had felt like something was missing, like a piece of her was missing. And, it wasn't just because Josie had become Dark Josie. Still, she couldn't quite figure it out. Besides, this is supposed to be her "Year of Yes". She has a sweet boyfriend and great friends like MG and Hope, and the only problem is Dark Josie. And then, Sebastian enrolls at the school, and everything changes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated M for some explicit scenes.

She couldn’t help but smile across the table from Ethan, her fingertips mere inches from his. [They’d spent the day together and had decided to get dinner at the end before parting ways. She only went out with the muggle – for the first time, at least – at Hope’s request. And, they weren’t really together. It was kind of a fling and they’d gone on a few dates. She liked him. He was sweet and kind, but a little rough around the edges, a little cocky. Still, when it came to witty comebacks, she always had the upper hand]. “Thanks for dinner,” she said softly.

Ethan smiled in response, “of course. This was nice, right?” he remarked with a slightly smug grin.

“Yeah, it was,” she smiled, nodding in agreement. “I had a good time, Ethan,” she added. [She did have a good time. She had a free day with no classes and Ethan had texted her asking her to hang out, so she’d gone to meet him after football practice. Besides, with Dark Josie walking around in all her evilness, it didn’t hurt to keep an eye on him]. She met his gaze, comforting and kind, as her fingertips brushed against his, and her heartbeat raced just a little. And then, she finally took his hand and laced her fingers with his. He startled a little, but relaxed, squeezing her hand, and smiled at her. She smiled back, “thank you,” she added as she leaned a little closer to him, biting her lower lip.

“Should we get out of here? I’ll walk you to your car,” Ethan suggested, and she nodded, smiling and winked. Ethan chuckled. They paid for their dinner and stepped out, still holding hands. It was a nice quiet night, the indigo sky full of stars, and a slight breeze blew, causing her to shiver. Ethan took off his jacket and slid it over her shoulders before wrapping an arm around her, pulling her close, and she burrowed closer to him, enjoying the warmth he offered before tilting her head up and pressing her lips to his. Ethan returned the kiss eagerly, his other hand cupping her cheek, and she leaned into the touch as her tongue tangled with his, her hands wrapping around his neck, and she pressed herself closer to him, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms. When air became a necessity, they pulled away, both of them breathing heavily, noses brushing against each other, and Lizzie pressed herself even closer to him, if possible, taking comfort in how right this felt, in the safety of his arms despite the fact that he was human. “C’mon,” Ethan whispered softly, “let’s get back.” She nodded, and they walked to her car, both of them getting in.

“Want me to drop you off home?” she asked as she turned the key in the ignition. Ethan smiled fondly and nodded before reaching across the console to take her hand. The drive was silent for a while before Lizzie broke it, an idea forming in her mind. “Or,” she paused, turning to Ethan, “we could take a little detour?”

“Detour, huh?” he smirked, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Lead the way, Saltzman,” he quipped, winking at her and she laughed before turning the wheel. She stopped just at the edge of the tree line, finding a private spot before hitting the brakes and parking her car. Ethan pushed his seat back, smirking slightly, and her stomach tightened in anticipation. And then, she turned to Ethan, her lips curling into a smirk before she reached for him. He met her halfway, his lips crashing against hers as his hands grasped firmly onto her hips, pulling her to him, and she wound her arms around his neck, her fingers pulling gently on his hair. Their tongues tangled together before they finally broke the kiss, foreheads resting against each other. “C’mere, Saltzman,” he mumbled against her lips, pulling her closer as she moved across the console, straddling his hips, grinding her own against his. His fingers tangled in her hair as his lips smashed against hers again, and she returned the kiss, kissing him deeply, her tongue tangling with his. Swiftly, her fingers moved to the hem of his shirt, lifting it up, her hands roaming all over his torso. They broke the kiss briefly, and Ethan pushed his jacket off her shoulders before he undid her overalls, letting them fall down and lifted the hem of her t-shirt, pushing it over her head. Then, they were kissing again, hungry and desperate as she made short work of his pants and boxers while he pulled the rest of her overalls and her panties down. Her mind registered what was about to happen, and she pulled away once more.

“Wait,” she mumbled quietly, twisting her back slightly to reach for the glove box.

“Condom, err, right,” Ethan mumbled upon realization, flushing slightly. She grabbed the condom from where she’d stashed it inside a small notebook, and slammed the glove box shut before turning back to Ethan. She ripped the condom open with her teeth causing Ethan to swallow thickly, his eyes darkening with lust before he grabbed it from her and put it on. Slowly, she shifted and adjusted on top of him as he started trailing kisses down her neck before he thrust into her, and she moaned, arching her back, her fingers still digging into his skin, his fingers tangled in her hair as he picked up the pace, and she ground her own hips against his, matching his movements. He pulled away, panting, and she pulled him to her, crashing her lips against his, in a desperate, passionate kiss. Their tongues tangled together as their bodies continued to move in sync, and Lizzie could feel her release near. She was pretty sure Ethan was close, too, and she let out a soft moan, and he grunted as he broke the kiss, only to start kissing her neck once again. Lizzie couldn’t help but let out a stifled moan as Ethan continued to trail kisses down her neck, nipping lightly on her collar while his thrusts became more frantic before he finally spilled into her and practically collapsed on top of her. She reached her climax too, and relaxed beneath him, and he rolled over, his head still in her hair, his arms wrapped around her. Lizzie turned to face him, reaching to stroke his jaw with her finger.

“Well, this was a pretty epic end to our day,” she mused as she lied in his arms, her head resting against his shoulder, his hand in her hair, her hand on his cheek. Ethan half-chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

“It was. You, Saltzman, are full of fantastic ideas,” he muttered before kissing her again.

* * *

Eventually, Lizzie dropped Ethan off at his place before driving back to the school. It was fairly late, but the only one still awake is Pedro, who was getting snacks from the kitchen.

“Hey, Pedro,” she greeted him softly as she entered the kitchen. “Shouldn’t you be in bed?” she asked in mock-seriousness.

“Hi, Lizzie,” Pedro smiled cheekily at her. “Just hungry. I’m going to bed now,” he informed her before grabbing his peanut butter jelly sandwich and rushing off. She chuckled in amusement and rolled her eyes before she grabbed a glass of water and walked back to her room. The room was empty, of course, since Dark Josie had found someplace else to spend her nights and Lizzie suddenly felt the loneliness creeping in. With a sigh, she showered and changed into her pajamas before settling into bed. Her phone pinged with a new message, and when she glanced at it she saw Ethan’s name on the display. _Night, princess,_ the message read and she half-scoffed, half-chuckled, rolling her eyes at the nickname. She typed a quick, flirtatious reply and turned her nightlight off, rolling to the side.

Sleep didn’t come though, and after spending another half hour rolling around, she sat up and got out of bed, tucking her hair behind her ear as she left her room. She tried Hope’s room first, but nothing, “probably with her hobbit,” she muttered, mildly annoyed. With a sigh she spun on her heel and headed to the boys’ dorms, heading for MG and Kaleb’s room. Thankfully, Kaleb was fast asleep, but MG wasn’t and she breathed out a sigh of relief.

“Lizzie?” the vampire asked in surprise, sitting up.

“Hey,” she said in a soft whisper, though she didn’t move from the door.

“Wh- what are you doin’ here?” he asked her. Kaleb rolled over, though he didn’t wake, and her shoulders slumped in relief.

“I was, uh, I just- Josie’s gone. And, I don’t… I don’t know where Hope is. Probably having sex with her hobbit. Besides, you’re my friend, and I…” she trailed off and let out a shaky breath. MG shuffled a little, and stared at her, still confused. She rolled her eyes, “I couldn’t sleep,” she sighed. MG’s expression softened, and he shifted to make space for her in his bed.

“C’mere,” he said softly, and she moved towards the bed and got in, shuffling closer to MG. [She knew MG still had feelings for her, but she didn’t feel the same and had tried, on numerous occasions, to make it clear to him. Still, ever since the film noir simulations, she’d been trying to be his friend, not just when there was some crisis. She knew their friendship had a long way to go, and that it had to be a two-way street, not just one-sided. But, right now she had really needed him. And, he was there].

“Thanks,” she mumbled softly as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Wanna talk about it?” he glanced at her in concern. “Is it- is it Ethan? Do I need to have words with him?” She chuckled, half-scoffing in response.

“No… it’s not Ethan. Ethan’s great,” she replied softly, and MG made a face, but didn’t say anything. “I just- I miss Josie, yes. But, she’s still… here, sort of…” she trailed off with a sigh, rubbing her cheek against MG’s chest. MG squeezed her lightly, his arm still wrapped around her.

“I miss Josie, too,” he admitted softly. When she didn’t say anything, he added, “we’ll get her back, don’t worry. In the meantime, whenever you need a shoulder to cry on, or someone to bunk with, or just someone to talk to… you got me. And, Hope. And, the rest of the Super Squad.” She chuckled softly, breathed in a deep sigh, not saying anything else. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I just- I feel like a piece of me is missing. Like… something… some part of me is just gone. And, I just don’t know what it is…” she pauses, sighing softly, “but, I don’t think it’s just that Josie has gone all evil and become this Dark Josie person walking around in all her evilness. I- it just _feels_ like a part of me is _missing_ ,” she admitted, her voice thick with emotion. MG didn’t say anything at first, and just wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her to him.

“It’s gonna be okay, Lizzie. Let’s just go to sleep,” he whispered, and they lowered themselves from their half-sitting position. And finally, Lizzie managed to fall asleep.

* * *

Sunlight spilled into the room, causing Lizzie’s eyes to flutter open only to be greeted by a pair of dark blue silk pajamas. For a second, she didn’t remember the night before, and she sat up, confused, only to find herself in MG and Kaleb’s room, and more specifically in MG’s bed. With a sigh, she ran her hand through her hair and slowly got out of bed, tiptoeing out of the room and racing to hers. She sagged in relief when the door closed behind her, but nearly screamed as soon as she saw who was sitting on her bed. 

“Don’t scream, dear sister,” Dark Josie said, smirking at her. “You don’t want to wake up the whole school, do you? Because by the time they all get here, I’ll be gone, and everyone will think you’re crazy,” she added, flipping her dark hair over her shoulder. Lizzie growled in response.

“Go away, Evil One,” she retorted, using the door to siphon magic, ready to attack if necessary. [Though, she didn’t really want to do it. Even if Josie wasn’t really Josie and just a major pain in the ass, she still didn’t to have to use magic against her. Because Josie, even Dark Josie, was still her sister]. So, instead, she curled her fingers into fists, her nails digging into her palms.

“Oh, I will. Just one last thing. How is your boyfriend? Ethan, was it? Remember when I – well, Josie – broke his arm?” she smirked, suggestively, and Lizzie couldn’t help but shudder at the mere thought. “Well, Josie was just being nice,” Dark Josie drawled as she walked closer to her. “I, on the other hand, don’t play nice,” she added with a smirk. Instinctively, she raised her hand, ready to use magic, but Dark Josie stopped her. “Oh, relax, sister. I won’t do anything. For now,” her twin’s evil version said, smirking evilly at her before vanishing. Lizzie grumbled to herself and moved to her bed, rearranging her duvet and pillows before grabbing her bathrobe and racing to the showers. Once she was back, she got ready slowly and grabbed her bag and books, texting Ethan quickly to make sure he was okay as she walked to the dining hall. On the way there, she bumped into Hope.

“Hey, Lizzie,” her best friend greeted her. Landon was chatting with Raf and MG was with Kaleb, so it was just the two of them.

“Uh, hey,” she greeted her absentmindedly, and silence settled between them as they picked their food and searched for a spot in the dining hall that would give them a slight bit of privacy considering the supernaturals crowding the place.

“Are you okay?” Hope asked as she tooka bite of her apple. When she didn’t say anything, Hope kicked her with her foot. “Lizzie, are you okay?”

“Uh, yeah, fine. Are you?” she replied, but Hope was clearly not having it. “Okay, fine. My evil sister paid me a visit this morning. Maybe she was astral projecting, I don’t know,” she shrugged.

“Josie was here?” Hope asked, clearly concerned.

“Oh, don’t go all hero, Hope,” she retorted, and sighed, glancing down. “Not yet, at least. Lord Josiemort threatened Ethan-”

“What?” Hope gasped, staring at her, stunned.

“Yeah,” she muttered, shaking her head. “Well, she threatened me. By using Ethan.”

“Should we be worried?” Both their heads snapped to find MG, Kaleb, Landon and Raf plop down on the seat across from them. Hope glanced over at her worriedly.

“I don’t know. But, maybe we should keep an eye on him?” the blonde suggested, glancing at the boys. Kaleb and Raf both nodded.

“Alright, princess. We’ll keep an eye out. But, we should deal with Josie sooner. ‘Cause the sooner we do, sooner we can relax,” Kaleb said, smirking slightly. At Hope’s glare, he added, “but, yeah, I’ll, uh, talk to Jed, and the wolves and the vamps will keep an eye out on your muggle boy,” he informed her before standing up, nodding at MG to follow along.

“Thanks guys,” she said softly, smiling at both of them.

Over the P. A. system, her dad called everyone to morning assembly and they all stood up, making their way to the assembly hall. Hope fell into step with her as Landon and Raf chatted in front of them.

“It’s going to be okay, Lizzie,” her best friend said softly. “We’ll figure something out.” She was still worried, and her attempt at mustering up a smile failed. [She’d never been a particularly selfless person, some might even call her selfish, but these days all she did was worry. She’d been worried about Josie. Then, her dad. Now, she also had to worry about Ethan. For someone so selfish, Lizzie found herself worrying about others much too often].

“Thanks,” she muttered, though she didn’t sound convinced, and Hope knew it. Hope flashed her another smile before joining Landon, and the hobbit wrapped his arm around the tribrid as the two of them continued the rest of the way to the assembly hall. Thankfully, Raf slowed down beside her, and she snuck a glance at him. [They’d had a brief fling; she broke it off because it was always going to be just sex between them. Because if they tried to be serious, it would be too messy. And, Lizzie didn’t want messy].

“Hey, Lizzie,” he greeted her, flashing her a quick smile.

“Hey,” she shrugged, her fingers playing with the strap of her bag. “You okay?” [According to Hope, Rafael had been going through some tough times, and even though it was never gonna work out between them, she still cared about him. He was her friend. He was Hope’s friend. And, as far as best friends went, Hope was hers. So, Lizzie cared]. _I suck at this whole selfish thing,_ she mused to herself, flashing Raf a soft smile.

“Yeah, I’m good. Better, I guess,” he shrugged noncommittally. “You? I mean, with Josie and Ethan and everything goin’ on?” he asked her as they entered the assembly hall. Hope and Landon were already sitting along with Kaleb and MG, and Alyssa and Jed were in the row behind them.

“I’m fine. As well as can be expected,” she shrugged vaguely.

“How’s… how’s Ethan?” Raf asked, but she flashed him a glare. [She knew the subject was still a little sore for Raf].

“Raf…” she trailed off, shaking her head pointedly. 

“Right. Sorry. Just friends, right?” the wolf smiled at her and she nodded, smiling back.

The two of them started making their way to where Hope and Landon were. Out of habit, she scanned the room for her sister, but she was nowhere to be seen. Professor Vardemus was standing beside her dad along with a dark haired guy clad in the school’s uniform. There was an empty seat beside Hope, and she took it, with Raf taking the empty spot beside Kaleb. There was another free spot, between Landon and Kaleb, and Lizzie wondered why Rafael hadn’t taken that one, but brushed it off. Her dad started off the assembly and introduced Professor Vardemus who was going to teach various magical classes before giving an update on Josie. She mostly zoned out of that, her attention drawn to the dark haired guy beside Vardemus. Now, she could see that his eyes are blue, and it takes her a second to figure out that his piercing gaze is firmly on her.

“Who is that? And, why is he staring at me?” she whispered Hope, though she didn’t mind the attention.

“Lizzie!” her best friend hissed. “You have a boyfriend,” she added in a hushed whisper, and mumbled something else inaudible, but Lizzie ignored her.

The blonde just rolled her eyes in response. “He’s not exactly- we haven’t really talked about labels. We just go on dates and have lots of sex,” she informed her best friend smugly, but Hope just gave her an unimpressed look while the boys all stared at her. “Ok, fine, point taken,” she conceded. “Still, that guy is good looking. Just cause I’m sort of taken doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate hotness when I see it,” she added, crossing her arms over her chest and returning her attention to her dad.

“Now, I’d like to introduce a new student at our school. Everyone, this is Sebastian. He’s a vampire who was desiccated for about 450 years and he’s here to readjust to the modern world and be a model student,” her dad smiled at all of them, and Hope rolled her eyes, scoffing quietly. Sebastian gave everyone a quick wave, though he averted his gaze from her, and Lizzie couldn’t help but blush as she continued to stare at him.

Mercifully, assembly came to an end, and everyone dispersed to their respective classes. She was on her way to Spell Lab, trying to push past the many other students when she bumped into someone. No, not someone. Sebastian.

“You lost or something?” she snapped in mock-irritation, moving away from him to straighten herself. At first he didn’t say anything in response, his piercing blue gaze locked on her, and she wondered if he was in some kind of trance. “Uh, earth to 500-year-old vampire, you still here?” she bit, snapping him out of his thoughts.

“Uh, yes? I was just on my way to class,” he replied, and she couldn’t help smile slightly at his accent, finding it incredibly attractive. “And, you are?” he quipped, smirking slightly at her.

“I’m Lizzie,” she smiled coyly. [He was incredibly attractive, that much was obvious. But, there was something else beneath the devilish charm and sexy accent. Something mysterious].

“It’s good to meet you, Elizabeth,” he smirked, delighted. She rolled her eyes.

“Most people call me Lizzie,” she remarked drily, though she couldn’t help but smile, and her heart melted a little.

“Well, I’m not most people, am I?” he replied, grinning devilishly.

She considered saying something, but decided against it, and merely rolled her eyes, flashing him another smile as she spun on her heel.

“Goodbye, Elizabeth!” he called out after her. She just waved as she rushed off.

* * *

The rest of her day went by uneventfully. Well, mostly uneventfully. Thankfully, Josie didn’t make another appearance, and as far as she knew Ethan was fine. She did text him, asking him if he wanted to hang out that evening, partly because she kind of missed him, but mostly because she wanted to keep an eye on him. [She may have beeen the Queen of Mean, but she wasn’t about to put Ethan’s life in danger. No matter how casual things between them were]. With Ethan still at football practice and the rest of the Super Squad on Dark Josie Duty, she decided to walk around for a bit to clear her head. There was only so much Dark Josie she could take, and she was pretty sure Landon and Hope had taken a break, too. The Old Mill seemed like a good enough spot for her to take a break until she noticed she’s not alone, and she almost did a double take upon seeing Sebastian.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know there was anyone here,” she exclaimed upon seeing him. He was working out, his dark hair plastered to his forehead, and his shirt was off, giving Lizzie a nice display of his abs. _Focus, Lizzie,_ she reminded herself, closing her gaping mouth and averting her gaze. Sebastian jumped down and turned to her.

“Oh, hello, Elizabeth,” he smirked at her, running his hand through his hair.

“Uh, hi,” she practically squeaked, and blushed.

“Sorry, I was just…” he trailed off, gesturing around him, and flashed her a half smile.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I was just… walking around, I guess? Thought I’d hang in here. But, if you’re here to just chill, I don’t care…” she replied, trailing off nervously, flashing Sebastian a quick smile. He smiled back, though he seemed a little nervous. “Right, well, uh, I’m just gonna go…” she muttered, turning slightly.

“You don’t have to,” he blurted, and she whirled around, her mouth slightly agape. “You should stay,” he added, more gently this time. “I mean, it is your school and everything…” Silence settled between them as neither of them moved, Sebastian’s piercing blue eyes fixated on her while she was trying not to admire his very toned abs.

“Put your shirt back on,” she blurted, breaking the silence, and causing Sebastian to stare at her in shock.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows.

“I said… put your shirt back on,” she added more loudly.

“Why? Is this affecting you, Elizabeth?” he quipped, smirking slightly, seemingly very pleased with himself. Lizzie rolled her eyes.

“For your information, it’s not. So, put your shirt back on before I do it myself,” she told him seriously, crossing her arms over her chest. “I’m serious,” she added, pursing her lips. With a chuckle and an eye roll, he pulled the t-shirt he’d been wearing over his head before facing her again.

“Better?” he grinned smugly.

“Yup,” she nodded, flashing him a smile. Her phone pinged with a text from Ethan, and she glanced back at Sebastian. “Anyways, nice chat, but I have to go,” she informed him before turning around and leaving.

Behind her, she could hear Sebastian add, “goodbye, Elizabeth,” and couldn’t help but smile.


	3. Lost Souls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian's first day at the Salvatore School goes slightly more smoothly than the first time around, but that is until he runs into Lizzie. How will seeing her again affect him?

He saw her the moment she entered the assembly hall, walking along with the werewolf who was friends with Hope’s boyfriend, and he couldn’t help but stare at her. All through assembly, he kept his eyes on her, and he could feel Hope’s eyes on him, but he didn’t care. It was as if nothing mattered except for her, and for him, nothing really did. 

“Stop it,” the tribrid hissed in a barely audible whisper only he could hear from across the room, and instantly he averted his gaze. He only half-listened to Alaric talk about Josette and introduce him, merely giving a half-hearted wave to the other students, averting his gaze once more after it had wondered to Elizabeth. And then, they were all dismissed, and the crowd of students dispersed. As he, too, tried to move away to join the crowd, his eyes searching for Hope, Alaric’s hand on his arm stopped him.

“I just want to say, I’m glad you came here after you woke up. This school will help you. And, if there is anything you need, let me know,” said the headmaster, patting his back gently.

He nodded, “thank you.” Despite saving Alaric back in the prison world, he still couldn’t forget how Alaric had the factions at the school decide whether he should stay the first time around and all that had resulted from it. He flashed the headmaster a quick smile before rushing to join the crowd, his eyes scanning for the tribrid. Except, it was not Hope he found in the end.

“You lost or something?” someone snapped after bumping into him. No, not someone. Elizabeth. Sebastian froze, his entire body becoming rigid. She stepped away from him, straightening herself, and he turned to face her, finally coming face to face with her after so long. As soon as his gaze locked onto her face, he couldn’t help himself but stare at her. [It felt almost like no time had passed. Elizabeth hadn’t changed at all, and her beauty sort of took his breath away. And, she still had the same effect on him]. “Uh, earth to 500-year-old vampire, you still here?” she yelled, snapping him out of his thoughts, and he shook his head, trying to focus.

“Uh, yes? I was just on my way to class,” he remarked, trying to seem nonchalant, and when she smiled slightly at him, and his breath hitched in his throat. Thankfully, he realized that she didn’t know he knew who she was, so he asked, “and, you are?” smirking slightly at her.

“I’m Lizzie,” she smiled back, and he couldn’t help the warmth in his gaze.

“It’s good to meet you, Elizabeth,” he quipped, smirking slightly, reminiscent of the first time they had met. She rolled her eyes, but he could sense she was the slightest bit amused.

“Most people call me Lizzie,” she retorted, a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

“Well, I’m not most people, am I?” he quipped, smirking back at her. At first, it seemed like Elizabeth might say something, but she didn’t, and merely rolled her eyes before turning around, flashing him a coy smile as she left.

“Goodbye, Elizabeth!” he called out after her, though he immediately regretted it. Elizabeth just waved as she ran off.

Sebastian sighed as he ran a hand through his hair before moving in search of where his next class was. And, thankfully, he found Hope.

“Hope,” he greeted her. The Mikaelson girl turned around, smiling slightly, though there was a hint of concern in her eyes.

“Hey,” she said. “You okay?” He nodded, his lips stretching into a half-smile. “Well, now that you’re enrolled, guess I should give you a tour? Typically, Lizzie and Josie give the tours, but since Josie has joined the Dark Side and Lizzie… anyways, I’ll give you the tour,” she decided as she led him down the hallways, though it was not entirely necessary since he’d been there before. They rounded a corner, and spotted the Phoenix and his werewolf best friend. “C’mon, let me introduce you to Landon and Raf. You could use some friends,” she told him, leading him towards the two boys.

“I know them,” he protested halfheartedly, but Hope flashed him a glare, shaking her head at him.

“But, they don’t know you. Well, they don’t remember that they know you,” Hope remarked before grabbing his arm and dragging him in the direction of the two boys. Landon immediately turned to Hope, his expression filled with warmth, and Sebastian felt a pang of hurt as the Pheonix pulled the tribrid into a hug she gladly returned before they shared a brief kiss.

“Guys, this is Sebastian. He’s a friend, and he’s just enrolled at the school,” she told them, and the two boys drew their attention to him.

“Oh. Dr. Saltzman introduced him in assembly,” Landon shrugged.

“Yeah. So, I wanted to as well. Anyways, Sebastian, this is my boyfriend, Landon, and his best friend Rafael,” she introduced him, and he nodded curly at both of them.

“Nice to meet you,” the boys chorused, with Landon flashing him a smile. He smiled back, though it was halfhearted.

“Well, we have class, and I’m also helping Raf with a thing, so…” Landon gestured between himself and his best friend.

“Okay, I’ll see you later,” the Mikaelson girl said before pulling him in for a brief hug and a kiss. He noticed Rafael avert his gaze, and swallowed thickly at the painful reminder that he couldn’t do this with Elizabeth.

“See you,” Landon waved as he and Raf turned around.

Hope finished the tour, and they parted ways while she went to her class and he went to work out some of his emotions at the Old Mill.

* * *

He was in the middle of pull-ups when he heard footsteps approaching and tensed up, but immediately relaxed at the sound of her voice.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t know there was anyone here,” she said upon seeing him, and he could sense she’d frozen still, her mouth gaping a little, her lower lip jutted out adorably. He jumped down, pivoting to face her, a little taken aback by the sight of her where they’d first met.

“Oh, hello, Elizabeth,” he smirked at her, running his hand through his hair, though he was still tense, on edge.

“Uh, hi,” she said nervously in greeting, and he couldn’t help but take comfort in not being the only one not knowing how to act around the other. [Of course, the reason was different, but it was comforting nonetheless].

“Sorry, I was just…” he trailed off, gesturing around him, and flashed her a half smile.

“Oh, don’t mind me. I was just… walking around, I guess? Thought I’d hang in here. But, if you’re here to just chill, I don’t care…” she trailed off nervously, flashing Sebastian a quick smile in return. He couldn’t help but smile fondly, although nervously at her rambling that he always found endearing. [Now it just caused his chest to constrict with sadness and longing]. “Right, well, uh, I’m just gonna go…” she added quietly, turning slightly to go. [But, he doesn’t want her to. This is the first time they’d been around each other minus their earlier meeting in the hallway, and her presence was intoxicating, and he couldn’t help but want more].

“You don’t have to,” he blurted, and she whirled around, gaping slightly at him. “You should stay,” he added, more gently this time. “I mean, it is your school and everything…” he trailed off, the nervousness still there. Silence settled between them as he continued to stare, unable to make himself look away, completely enthralled by her. [She still looked beautiful, more so if possible, after all this time. Her hair was in soft waves framing her face, and her beautiful blue eyes were staring at him, and it wasn’t lost on him that she was likely admiring his abdominal muscles. That he had this effect on her, even after all this time, even though she didn’t remember him, but her body did as he noticed she’d tensed, and he could hear her heartbeat racing]. He couldn’t help but smile smugly.

“Put your shirt back on,” she blurted, breaking the silence between them, and he gaped at her in shock.

“I’m sorry, what?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows, though he had heard her. Still, it gave him a sense of déjà vu since this is what she’d said to him the night they’d finally given in to their desires and copulated on the hood of her car.

“I said… put your shirt back on,” she added more loudly, rolling her eyes.

“Why? Is this affecting you, Elizabeth?” he quipped, smirking, slightly pleased with himself. Elizabeth rolled her eyes, but they both knew it did.

“For your information, it’s not. So, put your shirt back on before I do it myself,” she pretended to be serious, crossing her arms over her chest, a scowl forming on her face, though he knew she was lying. “I’m serious,” she added, pursing her lips. He chuckled in amusement, rolling his eyes, and turned to reach for the t-shirt he’d thrown on the floor. He pulled it over his head, and turned to face her again.

“Better?” he couldn’t help but grin, though he would have liked to keep his t-shirt off. Still, perhaps it was better not to entertain or encourage the connection between them.

“Yup,” she chirped, making a noncommittal noise, and flashed him a smile. Her device buzzed with an alert, and she glanced at it before looking back at him. “Anyways, nice chat, but I have to go,” she muttered before turning around and leaving.

He sighed, and called out, “goodbye, Elizabeth,” as she left.

With Elizabeth gone, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair, leaning against one of the wooden posts in an attempt to relax after the encounter, but he was still tense, his heart beating rapidly, and he could still smell her sweet yet spicy aroma in the air. _Oh, she was going to be the death of him,_ he mused before deciding to go to town and find something, or someone to eat, needing to sate himself.

* * *

Despite Sebastian’s presence at the school, the day had been relatively normal. After parting ways with the vampire, she’d gone to class and spent alone time with Landon. So, after bidding Landon goodbye, leaving him to train with Raf, Hope made her way to the woods for her own training. Well, really, that’s what she’d told Alaric she was doing. Really, it was more of an excuse to check up on Sebastian and make sure he was okay. [She knew how hard it was being around Lizzie when Lizzie had forgotten him, and he still felt whatever it was he felt for her. Hope was pretty sure the vampire was in love with her best friend. But, she wasn’t about to call him out on it]. Her feet kicked at the dirty in front of her as she walked towards the Old Mill, where she was pretty sure she would find him since that was where he went these days.

“Sebastian?” she called out, her eyes searching for him, though there was no sign of the vampire. She was about to reconsider her assumption that he was at the Old Mill when she heard a crash and an anguished scream. “Sebastian?” she yelled before breaking into a run towards the Old Mill, part of her already worried he was hurt or someone was hurting him, or- or, that he was the one hurting someone. “Sebastian?” she called out again just as she reached the Old Mill.

She couldn’t help but gasp when she entered the Old Mill, and she flinched as Sebastian’s cries – something between screaming and sobbing – filled the air. Her first instinct was to use magic to knock him out. Then part of her considered just rushing towards him to make sure he was okay, and the other part of her couldn’t move. [He needed to let it out, on his own terms. And, Hope knew what that was like more than anyone- except for Lizzie herself, of course]. So, she just stood there and watched.

Candles were scattered all over the floor, and the couch had been turned upside down, and there were torn papers littered all over the floor. Sebastian let out another pain-filled cry as he threw a bunch of candles to the floor before turning his attention to a table, grabbing it and throwing it across the room, letting out another half-scream half-sob. Hope couldn’t help but wince as she watched him continue to throw whatever he could reach, his pained screams filling the air, his body shaking. Still, she continued to just stand there, watching him, arms crossed over her chest. And then, he stopped and just stood there, his entire body trembling, his hair fallen over his forehead. Finally, he looked up at her, and Hope flinched at the look in his eyes, completely devastated.

“Sebastian?” she asked softly, walking over to him. “What happened?” she demanded as she crouched beside him, but he didn’t make a sound. His knees buckled and he dropped to the floor, and she sunk beside him, resting one hand on his shoulder. It was silent except for Sebastian’s heavy breathing, and Hope just sat there, gently patting his back, not saying anything. [She wasn’t sure there really was anything to say. She knew his pain, she understood it, but she couldn’t really say anything. Because no matter what, Lizzie still didn’t remember Sebastian and was carrying on with her life, and Sebastian was still halfway in love with her and was alone]. 

“I shouldn- I shouldn’t have come here…” he muttered, breaking the silence, and she glanced over to him, though she’s not exactly surprised. [Back when she’d first come back from Malivore, every time she saw Landon and Josie together and the loneliness had started to creep in, there were a million times she regretted her choice to stay]. “I- I’m going to hurt her again. I’m no good for her, and I shouldn’t have come back here,” he continued, his soft voice shaking with emotion.

She bit her lip, “you don’t know that.”

“I do. I- I’m not a good man. Elizabeth deserves better. And, that’s not me. I should just stay away… I should not have come here,” he admitted miserably, letting out a deep, shuddery breath.

“Hey, hey,” she mumbled softly, reaching to take his hand and squeezing it gently, her fingers laced with his. “It’s okay, it’s going to be okay. I know how you feel, I know you feel alone and that it’s… hard seeing Lizzie with someone else. Trust me, I’ve been there.” Her lips stretched into a comforting smile, and he squeezed her hand.

“What made you stay?” he wondered, breaking the brief silence that had settled between them.

She was silent answer at first, then shrugged, “I don’t know. I had a million reasons to leave. But, I guess there were enough reasons to stay. And, part of me wanted to fight for Landon. I kept ignoring that part, but it was there,” she sighed. [She’d never really opened up to anyone about how hard it had been, not even Landon. And, she’d never really wished it on anyone, but she had to admit that it was oddly comforting to someone who understood]. Sebastian nodded.

“I came back for a second chance with Elizabeth. I suppose, I didn’t really think it through, or perhaps I didn’t care,” he admitted. “But, now, I see her… she’s everywhere, Hope. And, she’s happy. She’s… moved on. Without me,” he added, reaching to hastily wipe away a tear that had spilled over his cheek. Hope nodded, not sure if there was anything else she could say, so she just squeezed his hand and he squeezed it back.

“I know,” she just whispered softly. “I know.”

* * *

Much like he’d done the night before, he finds himself at the docks. It was a quiet night, the sky covered in stars, and he lowered himself onto the deck, his legs hanging over the edge. Not surprisingly, it didn’t take Hope long to find him, and this time he had sensed her presence. [Partly because he’d become accustomed to it, and partly because it seemed like the Mikaelson girl was the only one who cared about him].

“Hey,” she murmured softly as she sat down beside him, bending her legs and tucking them at her side. Neither of them said anything at first, both of them looking out over the moonlit lake. “Your stuff is still in your room,” she finally said after a while, and he sighed heavily. “Changed your mind?” He nodded, swallowing back tears, a knot formed in his throat. Finally, he managed to tear his gaze away from the lake to meet Hope’s gaze, and his lips stretched into a half-smile.

“Thank you,” he said in a barely audible whisper, and cleared his throat. “I don’t… I panicked. Seeing her happy, meeting her where we first met. Then, I snuck into town- I know, I shouldn’t feed on locals,” he added, earning a raised eyebrow from Hope, who opened her mouth to protest, but he continued, “don’t worry, I only snuck into the hospital and stole a few blood bags I stashed. But, I saw her again. She was with him. Ethan. She looked happy.” A fond smile crossed his face that he couldn’t help.

“I’m sorry. But, she’s a bit worried about him. He’s human, you know. And, Josie threatened to hurt him, so Lizzie’s been a bit on edge. We’re all trying to deal with this, but she just went to see him, so she could keep an eye on him,” the Mikaelson girl explained, and he nodded in understanding. Earlier, Hope had briefed him on what had happened with Josette ever since they’d all returned from the prison world, and he’d promised to keep an eye out and help as well. [By helping the Super Squad as Hope called the group with this version of Josette he hoped to take his mind off of Elizabeth and the fact that she had moved on]. She patted his shoulder gently and he nodded in thanks. [If anyone had ever told him he’d become friends with Klaus Mikaelson’s tribrid daughter, he would have laughed in their faces, but there was something that connected him with Hope Andrea Mikaelson. Perhaps it was that they both had experienced enduring loss, or that they’d both been forgotten by the person they loved, or how they both felt like lost souls, but he didn’t really care. It was nice to have a friend. Especially one who seemed to understand him so well]. With a sigh, Hope layed her head on his shoulder and took his hand, lacing her fingers with his, and he sighed, squeezing her hand back.

“I realized something,” he said after a while, breaking the silence that had settled between them.

“What?”

“I want her to be happy. I don’t want to hurt her. Yes, I want her back. And, I want a second chance with her. But, if she’s happy, then I can accept this. Because I care about her so much, and I want her to be happy. I don’t wish her to be hurt, or have her heart broken,” he admitted, and he felt pain deep inside him, his chest practically clenching. “I don’t like it, but I want her to be happy, so it’s good enough for me,” he added more quietly when Hope didn’t say anything in response. Finally, Hope pulled away only to face him, her blue eyes meeting hers.

“I’m so sorry,” said the Mikaelson girl, her voice soft before reaching to wrap her arms around him. “I know it hurts, and I’m sorry. But, you are being a better man for it.” At first, he didn’t respond to the hug, not sure what to do before he wrapped his own arms around her, pulling her to him, and she rubbed his back, pressing herself to him. They rest in the embrace for a while before pulling away, resuming their earlier positions, their gazes drifting back to the lake.

* * *

Eventually, they both managed to tear themselves away from the lake, standing up together and making their way to the school. The walk back was quiet, but Hope didn’t mind, enjoying the companionable silence as she gathered her thoughts. They parted ways, and she watched as Sebastian made his way to the dorms. Landon was with Raf, Kaleb and MG, so after changing into her pajamas and spelling a note in Landon’s pocket, Hope made her way to what was once the twins’ bedroom, but was now only occupied by Lizzie. The blonde was lying on her back, her nightlight still on, and it was clear she couldn’t sleep.

“Hey,” her best friend greeted her as she entered the room.

“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked as she approached the bed. Lizzie shook her head. 

“You?”

“Not really. Landon’s with the guys. I could pull him away just so I could fall asleep, but that feels kind of selfish. Plus, I wanted to check up on you,” she conceded, shrugging. The blonde nodded and patted the spot beside her, gesturing for Hope to get into bed beside her.

“Yeah, I get it. I’ve been feeling restless, too. Last night after I got back from being with Ethan I ended up going to MG’s room. Part of it is that I miss Josie, but the other part is…” Lizzie paused, seeming unsure about sharing the full extent of whatever was bothering her.

“You know you can tell me,” she encouraged, draping an arm across the Saltzman girl.

“Yeah, I know. The other part is I… I, uh, I feel like a part of me is missing. And, not just because of Lord Josiemort. There’s something else, some other reason. I just feel like some part of me is missing, and I can’t really figure out what,” she explained, and Hope nodded in understanding, though she couldn’t really say anything. She was pretty sure that part was Sebastian, that somewhere deep inside, Lizzie knew she was missing someone she cared about deeply. She recalled how Landon had told her that every time he ‘died’ he had visions of her, and couldn’t help but wonder if that had been because of the connection between Landon and Malivore, or because of their epic love. [And, her heart ached for Sebastian and for Lizzie, because they hadn’t fallen in love when Sebastian jumped into Malivore. They’d just started to care about each other in a big way, but it wasn’t epic love. Sure, Sebastian was closer to being in love with Lizzie, but Lizzie wasn’t there yet. And, it hurt to realize how hard this was going to be for both of them. Hope resolved right then and there to help them both in any way she can]. “You’ve gone quiet,” Lizzie muttered after a while, and Hope glanced over at her, realizing she had in fact gone quiet.

“Yeah, sorry. Just thinking. I get what you’re feeling, Lizzie, but I’m sure everything will work out. Does it have anything to do with Ethan?” she wondered.

“No. Ethan’s great. He’s just great,” the blonde sighed, though she sounded unsure. “Anyways, what is going on with you and Sebastian? I’ve seen you two talking…” the blonde wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, and Hope couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Sebastian? Oh, yeah, we’re friends. I met him back in New Orleans when I went to visit my aunts recently. He said he needed a place to belong, so I suggested the school,” she shrugged and she was lucky that she had mastered that particular skill because Lizzie didn’t pry, or say anything else.

“Okay, but he’s like… insanely hot. I know, I know, I have Ethan, but still…” she trailed off with a half-chuckle. “Are you sure this is a good idea after the whole Roman Sienna fiasco?”

“Yeah, don’t worry. Sebastian’s… well, he wasn’t raised by vampire Nazis, so… it’s fine. Besides, it’s not like I’m into him. I love Landon, we’re just friends,” she brushed Lizzie’s concerns off, but the blonde merely nodded.

“Anyways, thanks for everything,” Lizzie sighsed after a while.

“No problem. What are friends for?” she quipped, and it wasn’t not long before they both fall asleep. 


	4. Happy Not-Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On the twins' seventeenth birthday, Lizzie isn't in the mood to celebrate. After an argument with Ethan, she finds comfort in someone else before things take a shocking turn.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is safe and well! Finally managed to write this chapter between working to help my brother with his online classes! This chapter will include a Sizzie scene (finally), so I hope you enjoy. Warning! Rated M for smut.  
> xx

On the morning of her seventeenth birthday, Lizzie woke up just as the barest hints of sunshine filtered through her windows. With a sigh, the blonde siphoner rolled over, and sat up immediately, gasping, when she saw her sister sitting on her bed examining her black nails.

“What are you doing here?” she demanded, scrambling off the bed. Josie merely pouted when she looked up at her, though the look on her face was merely amused.

“Oh, relax, dear sissy. Just wanted to wish you happy birthday,” Jo said, grinning cynically. “One year less until the Merge!” she announced, perking up a bit. Lizzie opened her mouth, a witty comeback on the tip of her tongue, but Jo didn’t give her the chance and vanished out of thin air. The blonde twin sighed and fell back onto the bed, letting out a dramatic groan, and decided she would sleep longer. Unfortunately for her, the door opened minutes later to reveal Hope who entered the room with a small smile on her face.

“Oh, it’s you. Go back, I’m not in the mood to celebrate,” she groaned before pulling her duvet over her head, but the Mikaelson girl yanked it back as she plopped down beside her.

“Don’t be such a grump, Lizzie. Happy birthday!” the other girl said cheerfully, pulling her in for a tight hug. Then, she pulled something out of her pocket, handing it to her. With a theatrical roll of her eyes, the blonde girl took the small sachet and opened it to reveal a pair of delicate moon-shaped earrings.

“Hope…” she gasped, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. “These are beautiful!” she exclaimed in delight, and reached to pull the tribrid in for another hug. “Thank you,” she whispered in her ear, squeezing her best friend unusually tightly. Hope nodded, patting her back, before finally pulling away.

“Lizzie?” Hope asked curiously, not used to this type of gesture from the siphoner.

“Thanks for being my friend, even though I don’t deserve it,” was all she said sentimentally. The Mikaelson girl just chuckled, rolling her eyes.

“Feeling’s mutual, Saltzman,” she quipped, and the blonde nodded. “You sure you’re not up for celebrating?”

The blonde siphoner shook her head, and the other girl just nodded, not putting up a fight.

“See you at morning assembly?” she enquired instead. 

Lizzie nodded again. “Yeah, be right there. Then, I’m going to meet with my muggle,” she added, smiling fondly. Hope chuckled, rolling her eyes before she left the room.

* * *

After leaving Lizzie in her room, Hope raced to Landon and Raf’s, hoping to meet her boyfriend before assembly. Sure enough, her favorite Phoenix was standing in the middle of his room, pulling his hoodie over his head.

“Good morning,” she said softly by way of greeting, a smile stretching on her lips as she approached him, reaching to wrap her arms around him. Landon turned to her, a grin plastered to his face, and happily returned the embrace. Hope lifted her head up, brushing her nose against his, her lips capturing Landon’s for a kiss, and her hands drifted up to wrap around his neck as he pulled her closer, returning the kiss eagerly. Their tongues tangled together, her teeth nibbling slightly on his lower lip, and she felt his hands roam over her body as her fingers tangled in his curly hair, her legs going numb. It took her a few seconds to realize they were floating again, and she chuckled fondly, pulling away from him. He smiled at her before returning to the ground, and she couldn’t help but breathe out a sigh of relief. “Hi,” she smiled happily.

“Hi,” he said softly in response, his forest green eyes twinkling. “This is definitely a good morning,” he added, placing a kiss on her nose, and earned himself a chuckle from his girlfriend.

“Oh, yeah?” she asked him, her fingers trailing along his jaw as her nose brushed lightly against his, his hands firmly on her waist.

“Definitely, yeah,” he laughed lightly. [It had been a while since they were so light and carefree, and Hope didn’t want it to end, didn’t want reality to set in, but they both knew it would, sooner or later. Still, she was willing to hold on as long as she could].

The atmosphere though became somber soon enough, and she sighed sadly.

“You okay?” her boyfriend asked softly, not letting go of her. She nodded faintly, though it wasn’t entirely true.

“I’m more worried about Lizzie,” she admitted. “And, Josie of course. Lizzie was so upset this morning, so probably no party this year,” she shrugged.

“That sucks. I know you were excited about that,” Landon quipped, his voice dripping with sarcasm, earning himself an eye roll from the Mikaelson girl. His expression grew serious then, once again bringing both of them to reality. “Did she at least like your present?” he asked gently, and she couldn’t help but smile as she remembered Lizzie’s very out-of-character reaction.

“Yeah,” she grinned.

“Good,” he returned the smile, and leaned down to brush his lips against her earlobe, causing her to giggle unexpectedly. he looked back into his eyes once he pulled away.

“What is it, Landon?” she asked, sensing there was something he wanted to say.

“I just- I guess I feel a little guilty. About Jo. I mean I- I was her boyfriend. I was supposed to be her best friend. And, I didn’t even notice what was going on… t- that she was feeling the way she was. The dark magic. I mean, what if it was my fault?” he rushed out, and despite the slightly uncomfortable pit in her stomach at the mention of his relationship with Josie, she immediately tightened her hold on him.

“Hey, hey,” she mumbled quietly, gently caressing his jaw. “It’s not- it’s not your fault, Landon. I guess none of us really noticed, maybe it’s no one’s fault, or everyone’s. I feel guilty, too, trust me. I mean, Josie and I were so close, and then I didn’t even notice…” she trailed off sadly. “It’s okay to feel a little guilty. We all do. But, we just have to figure out a way to help her. And, we’re gonna do that, okay?” He nodded, brushing his nose against hers before his lips descended on hers, and she met his halfway, pressing her own against his, her tongue tangling with his. It was a lingering, comforting sort of kiss, and Landon’s grip tightened on her waist as she pressed herself closer, her hands resting against his cheeks, drifting to wrap around his neck. When air became a necessity, they pulled away reluctantly, and he rested his forehead against hers.

“Thanks,” he muttered quietly, and she smiled, happy that he no longer looked as upset. She nuzzled his cheek gently as Dr. Saltzman announces morning assembly through the PA system. She moved, pulling Landon along with her, but he stopped her, his expression growing serious once more.

“What’s wrong?” she repeated, furrowing her eyebrows.

“There’s something else I wanted- no, needed to ask you,” he confessed, and she turned to face him, nodding for him to do so. There’s a pregnant pause, and she shivered apprehensively, glancing at him curiously. “Uh, what’s- what’s going on with you and Sebastian?” he finally asked, and her eyes widened in shock.

“What?” she gaped at him, taken off guard.

“Sebastian. The new guy? Your friend? I was just- well, you two seemed pretty close and I was just wondering what is going on between you guys. Because Alyssa Chang-” she cut him off as soon as her roommate’s name escaped his lips, and he bit his lower lip worriedly.

“Alyssa? Oh, God, Landon please tell me you’re not listening to her! She’s- she’s just trying to-” she rushed out, but this time _he_ cut her off.

“Trying to what? Maybe telling the truth? Like Penelope did? Just tell me the truth, Hope. About Sebastian. You said he was a friend. Is he- is he another Roman Sienna?” he pressed, and her breath hitched in her throat, a pit forming in her stomach. An uncomfortable silence settled between them, and she sighed heavily before plopping onto Landon’s bed, morning assembly no longer seeming as important.

“I- it’s not my secret to tell,” she finally revealed, tucking her hair behind her ear, only slightly nervous. [She knew Landon wouldn’t accept her answer, or any vague half-truth she attempted to say, and she was tired of them arguing, or lying to each other. She didn’t _want_ to lie to him. But, she also didn’t want to break Sebastian’s trust. Trust she didn’t fully have, and that had been so difficult to earn].

Landon immediately took a seat beside her and reached for her, taking both her hands in his, his thumbs rubbing over her knuckles. “But, you _can_ tell me, Hope. I love you. I won’t tell anybody, not even Raf. But, I don’t like us keeping something from each other, not something big. And, if Sebastian is another Roman, I- I want to be there for you,” he spoke her in earnest, his voice so gentle and his gaze so full of understanding. [Being part witch, he couldn’t compel her, but hell if she felt compelled to tell him the truth anyways]. “I love you,” he repeated, and lifted her hands to his lips, pressing soft kisses to her knuckles. And, her resolve broke.

“He’s not another Roman Sienna. Thankfully,” she half-chuckled, rolling her eyes. “And, we didn’t have a thing. Because he’s in love with Lizzie,” she revealed, and Landon’s eyes widened almost-comically in pure shock.

“What?”

“Yeah. He’s in love with Lizzie. Okay, he hasn’t said as much, but it’s written all over his face,” she paused, shrugging, and Landon continued to stare at her, still shocked.

“How?”

“So, uh, Sebastian used to be here before. A couple of months ago, I guess. He was a vampire who was desiccated underneath the school and he woke up. He and Lizzie were a thing. Then, the whole prison world fiasco happened. Except, Sebastian was sent to the prison world, too. When he and Lizzie reunited, well, things didn’t end so well. In the end, he sacrificed himself to become the anchor of the prison world, so everyone else could come home. Lizzie astral projected to say goodbye and told him how to get out. And, he did by jumping through Malivore, and Malivore tossed him out in our world,” she explained, and he nodded, realization dawning on his face.

“Right. And, Lizzie and everyone else forgot him. Except for you because you’re a unicorn,” he chuckled, and she couldn’t help but smile fondly at the nickname.

“Yeah,” she agreed faintly, resting her head on his shoulders. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away. I just- I don’t really know him and he doesn’t know me, but he had to trust me. So, I didn’t tell anyone,” she sighed. Landon merely nodded in response.

“Poor guy. Poor,” he paused dramatically, “Lizzie.” They both huffed out a laugh, and Landon wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close. “Well, thank you for telling me. I promise I won’t tell anyone. I just- I guess, I got a little insecure cause you were spending all your time with this mysterious, hot vampire, and I…” he trailed off, dropping his chin slightly, pursing his lips. Hope immediately cupped his cheeks and lifted his head so he could meet her gaze.

“Landon Kirby, I love you. I love you and only you. I don’t care about some mysterious vampire from five hundred years ago, attractive as he may be. I love you,” she spoke in earnest, and emotion flickered across his face as his lips stretched into a shy smile.

“Really?” She nodded. “Good. Because I love you, too, Hope Mikaelson,” he replied, and she could feel that familiar swarm of butterflies in her stomach, and smiled at him. Their lips met half way, and she nibbled at his lower lip as their tongues tangled together for a few seconds before they brokethe kiss, both of them panting slightly.

“Oh,” she murmured, her nose brushing against his, “for the record, I think you’re pretty hot,” she quipped, earning a chuckle from the Phoenix.

“Oh, really? You think so?” he retorted, pulling her closer.

“I know so,” she flirted.

“Good. I think… Hope Mikaelson, you are so beautiful,” he mumbled against her lips, causing her to blush. Just as they were about to kiss again, the door burst open, and they pulled apart only to find Rafael standing there.

“Hey, guys,” he greeted them, smirking slightly.

“Raf!” they exclaimed in unison.

“You’re about to miss morning assembly,” he informed them, smirking smugly. “And, you don’t want to miss morning assembly today because Lizzie Saltzman is in a mood.”

“We know,” Hope said simply, standing up, Landon along with her. He grabbed his bag, and so did she, taking her hand in his, their fingers laced together. Along with Rafael they made their way to morning assembly, being the last to enter, right after Lizzie.

* * *

After a particularly uneventful morning assembly and a few classes, Lizzie made her way out, having agreed to meet with Ethan after his practice. [He had a day off school, and she had a short day]. Except just as she was about to make her grand escape, MG cornered her.

“Hey you,” he greeted her, and she turned, her eyes widening.

“MG!” she exclaimed. He looked like he was about to say something, but she cut in. “Don’t even think about wishing me a happy birthday. This birthday is decidedly _not_ happy,” she informed him seriously, and he just nodded wordlessly.

“Uh, yeah, sure, if that’s what you want,” he muttered content to do whatever she wanted.

“For one, my sister is still the Wicked Witch, and for two, I am now one year closer to the Merge. So, thank you very much for being a good friend, but this year I am going to pretend my birthday doesn’t exist,” she added, rolling her eyes. MG stayed silent, and followed along as she walked out of the school and made her way towards the parking lot.

“Right,” he mumbled as she opened the car before she realized he probably had something to say to her. When she turned to face him, she noticed he was also holding something in his hands, and pursed her lips. [Of course. Leave it to MG to go through the effort of getting her a present, even though he knew that this year she wasn’t celebrating].

“Well? Were you going to say something?” she demanded, scowling, and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Was just going to- never mind. But, uh, can I still give you this?” he asked, a little unsure before revealing what he’d been holding. A box. “It’s, uh, it’s just a box of jewelry. For jewelry. Since Dark Josie wrecked yours,” he revealed, smiling nervously, and she couldn’t help but smile.

“MG…” she trailed off, pleasantly surprised.

“Look, I know you said no wishes and no presents. So, think of this as just a friend giving you something to make up for what your sister ruined. A not-birthday present,” he explained, smiling smugly. She beamed at him, and reached to wrap her arms around him, pulling him in for a quick hug.

“Thank you, MG! For the not-birthday present. For being such a good friend,” she whispered in his ear, delighted. He hugged her back, squeezing her tightly before she finally pulled away

“Sure. Happy not-birthday,” he grinned. She just rolled her eyes.

“Thanks MG.” And then, she got into her car and drove off to meet Ethan at the Mystic Grill.

Her boyfriend was already waiting for her outside, two strawberry milkshakes in front of him, and he stood up as soon as he spotted her. Their lips met halfway, and she wrapped her arms around his neck while he wound his around her waist, pulling her close. Finally, when air became a necessity, they both pulled away, a playful grin on Ethan’s face.

“Hey there, princess,” he quipped softly by way of greeting, earning himself an eye roll from the blonde.

“Hey there, muggle,” she muttered. [It was half a joke, half the truth, but it had become habit, and an inside thing between the two of them]. He pressed a quick kiss to her earlobe, doing that thing she liked with his tongue, causing her to squirm slightly before finally pulling away and pulling the chair for her. She sat down and crossed her legs, before taking a sip of her milkshake, immediately relaxing.

“How was your day?” he asked, reaching across the table to take her hand.

“Oh, you know, pretty uneventful,” she shrugged. “How was practice?”

“It was good, thanks,” he grinned, pleased with himself. “I think we’ll still beat you guys,” he remarked, earning a chuckle and an eye roll from the blonde.

“You wish,” she scoffed. “I’ll crush you on that field, muggle,” she quipped, and he chuckled, his eyes shining. A waiter arrived to ask for their order and they ordered burgers and curly fries to go with their shakes. Conversation floated around easily, and Lizzie couldn’t help but enjoy the distraction Ethan was very successfully providing, falling into their usual light-hearted, and flirtatious banter.

“How are the troubled rich kids, anyways?” he asked with an amused smirk as she sipped the last bit of her milkshake.

“Troubled,” she quipped, a half smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Ethan just laughed. After finishing their food, they paid and got up to leave, and she reached to take his hand, nuzzling into his side.

“And you, princess?” he asked her, kissing her hair. She just chuckled, reaching to rest her hand on his back as they walk to her car.

“Not so much troubled,” she said, pausing and leaning against her car. “I’m just trouble.” A smile tugged at the corners of the human boy’s lips, and he pressed her against her car, his hands gripping her waist firmly while she rested her hands on his chest.

“Oh? Are you now?” he retorted, grinning. “Yeah, I can definitely see that. See, I’m the sheriff’s son. And, you, Miss Trouble, are a terrible influence on me,” he informed her, earning yet another amused chuckle from the blonde.

“Oh, really?”

“Yes. Sneaking around, ditching school, doing things…” he whispered huskily, and leaned forward, his lips mere inches from hers. She squirmed a little, her hands drifting to his neck.

“Things?” she mumbled almost incredulously.

“Yeah. Naughty things,” he clarified, one hand reaching down to squeeze her butt lightly.

“Naughty? I’m naughty?” she widened her eyes innocently as Ethan slipped one hand underneath the hem of her blouse, and she shivered, feeling herself already getting wet.

“Very,” he asserted in a husky tone. His lips descended on hers, and she kissed him back deeply, her hands pulling him towards her as he pressed her harder against the car, and she could feel the cool metal against her back. She nibbled on his lower lip while her swept inside his mouth, Ethan’s hand drifted up to tangle in her blonde curls. She could feel him harden against her, and she couldn’t help but be pleased with the fact, but middle of the town square wasn’t the place she wanted to do this, so she broke the kiss, nuzzling his nose with hers.

“Well,” she mumbled against his lips, “if I’m so naughty, why don’t we go do some naughty things somewhere else?” He hummed in agreement and squeezed her again before letting her go. They both got into her car, and she peered at him furtively as she twisted the key in the ignition.

“So,” said Ethan, reaching to take her hand across the console, and she squeezed it in return. “Know a place?”

“Yup,” she chirped, feeling giddy, her stomach tightening with anticipation. “The Falls.” Her boyfriend merely nodded.

Ethan rolled the window down, the breeze blowing his hair lightly as she drove to the Falls.

It didn’t take long to get there, and she immediately parked the car before they both got out.

“C’mon, I’d like to show you a place. Have my naughty ways with you,” she winked at him as she took his hand, lacing her fingers with his loosely.

“Lead the way, Saltzman,” he quipped, amused. Slowly, they made the trek along the falls, the only sound coming from the waterfalls and their heavy breathing. “Are we ever gonna stop?” Ethan asked after a while, earning a chuckle from his girlfriend, who just rolled her eyes.

“Yes,” Lizzie said breathlessly, turning them around and reaching to wrap her arms around his neck, pulling him close. Ethan just nodded and smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. Their lips crashed together, and she slipped her tongue into his throat, causing him to groan softly, his hands firm on her back. Their tongues tangled together as she grasped the hem of his t-shirt, and she could feel his hands drifting down to her butt which excited her, sending shivers down her spine. They pulled apart briefly, and she gasped lightly as he squeezed her ass before she pulled his t-shirt off, her hands now drifting over his bare skin, her nails scraping along his back lightly, which caused Ethan to let out a moan in the back of his throat. Ethan wasted no time in removing her blouse, revealing her light pink bra, and swallowed thickly, his eyes darkening with lust, which only served to turn her on even more. Their lips crashed together once again, tongues dueling at an all too familiar rhythm as they kissed each other with fervor, bodies pressed against each other. Lizzie yelped in surprise, though it was muffled by his lips on hers when Ethan pushed her against a nearby tree, his hips grinding against hers. She rested her hands on his cheeks as her nose brushed against his, and her hands trailed along his toned abs. Slowly, and with great care for a football player, he reached to unzip her skirt, letting it pool at her ankles. She let out another gasp, louder this time as he squeezed her ass again, and they broke the kiss only for Lizzie’s hands to move to his jeans. Quickly, she unzipped them and pushed them off before wrapping her legs around his waist, and he hoisted her up with ease, his hands firm on her back while hers drifted to his shoulder blades. And then, his lips were trailing kisses along her jaw, and she squirmed as he licked her earlobe lightly, before his lips continued down her neck He settled on a spot on her collarbone, and she let out a loud moan as he nipped and sucked on the spot, digging her nails in his skin in response while arching her back. Ethan grunted as she ground her hips against his before his free hand grasped her breast, causing her to let out a loud moan.

“Now… who’s being naughty?” she panted as he squeezed her breast lightly before cupping her other one. “Oh, God!” she gasped, and she could feel herself about have an orgasm. This only encouraged Ethan further, and he moved expertly so his lips were on her breasts. The blonde almost screamed, eyes tightly shut when his tongue gently licked her nipple, his teeth only grazing it gently before he proceeded to bite and suck on her nipples, and she arched her back even more in response, the rough bark of the tree digging into her skin. “Oh, fuck- Ethan…” she panted with a loud groan before opening her eyes as he continued his ministrations on her breasts. Finally, Ethan pulled away, and lifted her up while he lowered himself down, and she glanced down, a little shocked.

“Wh- what are you doing?” she asked, completely befuddled, but Ethan ignored her, and just grasped the lacy material of her panties and slid them off gently. Slowly, he lowered himself until her legs were positioned on his shoulders, steadying her with his hands on her lower back. She tensed, letting out a loud moan when she felt his tongue on her clit. _Dear God._ But Ethan just smirked, and continued to slide his tongue along her clit, and she could feel herself even closer to her release. She was so close; she was sure she was about to spill all over his face. “Oh! Fuck… Ethan… fuck!” she panted, her hands tangled in his hair while his hands drifted down before grasping firmly on her ass. After a few well-paced strokes with his tongue which drove her crazy, she finally reached an Earth-shattering release, spilling all over his face. He didn’t say anything, and just licked her clean before pulling away and grinning wickedly at her. “Fuck,” she muttered.

“You taste amazing, princess,” was his only response, and she shivered, her eyes gleaming with pleasure. [The nickname had never been so filthy, and she had to admit she found it hot]. Gently, he lowered her onto the ground, and she wasted no time in reaching for his boxers and pulling them off.

“I need you. Right now,” she informed him forcefully, and he nodded before picking her up again, and adjusting her slightly. Thankfully, she seemed to have gained her sense just in time, and whispered, “condom?” in question. He nodded, blushing slightly as he twisted around, reaching for the jeans she’d tossed earlier, pulling one from his pocket. “Ah, so you did have plans?”

He chuckled, “oh, yes. I was hoping I might have my wicked way with you, or you might damage my innocence further,” he mumbled in her ear.

“Oh? Really?” she quipped. “You think you’re so innocent?” she muttered before tearing the condom open with her teeth, and he almost growled, his eyes darkening with lust at the sight. He grabbed it from her then, and adjusted it quickly before reaching for her once more.

Their lips crashed together once more, tongues tangling together as she held onto his neck while he thrust into her, letting out a moan in the back of her throat. She arched her back as her hips ground against his, matching his movements with fervor. She shifted slightly to accommodate his length before he started picking up pace, thrusting rhythmically, and she matched his movements, the bark of the tree still scratching her back slightly. She continued to kiss him, her lips attacking his as if they were personally offended and needed to punish. She could feel her orgasm building again, and she matched his movements eager;y, fingers pulling at his hair, gasping and panting against his lips when he pulled away. She knew he was close, too, as he nipped her earlobe gently before moving to her collarbone, and she rode him at a quick pace. Finally, he pulled away from her collarbone, and she pulled his lips onto hers once again, kissing him roughly. Desperately. Thoroughly. With one last, well-timed thrust, Ethan spilled into her, and she followed soon after, reaching her own release, and slumped in his arms before breaking the kiss. Both of them panted heavily, arms wrapped around each other

“That was definitely naughty, princess,” he muttered, his arms holding her gently. Her eyes widened slightly, pretending to be shocked.

“Me? Naughty? You’re the one who ate me out, Mr. Good Guy,” she retorted, winding her arms around his neck. “But, the situation could definitely be rectified,” she added, smirking slightly.

“Meaning?”

“Meaning, I could be really naughty, too,” she quipped before lowering herself in front of him.

* * *

Eventually, after a few more rounds against the tree and in the river – under the pretext of cleaning up, of course – they stumbled to her car. They proceeded to have a few more rounds in her car, before they finally settled down, exhausted and satisfied. Ethan wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest while his fingers brushed over her bare skin, gently caressing her arms.

“Happy birthday, Lizzie,” he mumbled softly in her ear, and she froze, sitting up.

“How?” she asked, more surprised than anything.

“I have my ways,” he quipped, smirking coyly.

“Don’t you think it’s a little stalkerish?” she asked, trailing her fingers along his chest, a small smirk on her lips.

“Well, maybe… a little…” He huffed out a laugh, and she noticed a slight blush adorning his cheeks. “But, I just- I guess, I was curious. Besides, don’t you think I should know my girlfriend’s birthday?” he asked her, a hint of hurt in his voice, but she ignored it. [She also ignored the fact that he’d called her his _girlfriend_ when they’d never established labels].

“Well, said _girlfriend_ ,” she couldn’t help but bite back, “doesn’t want you to know her birthday. Because, she’s not interested in celebrating it!”

“Whoa,” Ethan’s gaze snapped over to her. “Why not?”

“It’s none of your business,” she snapped, sitting up. “Which, you would have known if you had asked me. But, you didn’t ask me because you only care about you-”

“No, I didn’t ask because I wanted to make it a surprise!” he exclaimed, sitting up. She furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “I- I wanted to be nice boyfriend and organize something nice for you. So, I decided to organize a party for your birthday,” he revealed, and her breath hitched in her throat in shock, her gaze flickering to his.

“Well, too bad, because I don’t want it. Just like I don’t want to celebrate my birthday. This was nice, but now I want to go home!” she finished angrily, sitting up and reaching for her shirt. Ethan sat up along with her.

“Oh, c’mon, Saltzman, don’t be such a party pooper!” he yelled, reaching to grasp her by the shoulders, and she winced as he tightened his grip. _Wrong, wrong words._ “It’ll be fun.”

“No, thanks,” she retorted sharply.

“I put effort into that damn party!” he continued to yell angrily, but she pursed her lips.

“I know. But, _I_ didn’t ask you to do it. So, I’m going home,” she informed him decisively before putting on her seatbelt. “Now, I can either drive you in town, or leave you here,” she added, pulling the roof back up. Ethan made no sound of acknowledging her, and merely nodded, so she hit the gas, biting her lip angrily to keep the tears from falling. When she glanced at him, he met her gaze with a cold, hard glare.

The drive back into town was quiet, neither of them saying anything until she stopped in front of his house.

He reached for her once more, in one last, desperate attempt but she pulled away, as if his touch had burned her.

“Don’t touch me,” she snapped. “And, for the record, I’m not your girlfriend. We never talked labels. We just have sex and go on dates,” she added coldly, and immediately regretted it.

“And, that’s not being a girlfriend?” he bit back, glaring slightly at her.

“Not if I don’t want to be one. Which I don’t,” she shrugged, completely deadpan, looking away from him.

“You’re so selfish, Saltzman! Always thinking about yourself. You’re the only one who matters, princess,” he burst, her nickname full of disgust as it fell from his lips, and she flinched. Tears threatened to spill over, but she just pursed her lips, refusing to let him see her cry.

“Get the hell out!” she practically shrieked, not turning to face him. “Just go!” she repeated, more forcefully this time, though she didn’t turn. When he slammed the door closed, she hit the gas, and finally let the tears fall.

After crying on the drive back to the school, she felt drained and all she wanted was to go to bed. Unfortunately, all of that was moot because she found all her friends gathered in the common room, MG holding something that looked like a birthday cake.

“Didn’t I say I’m not celebrating this year?” she snapped miserably, huffing. Hope immediately rushed to her, MG hot on her heels.

“It’s just cake, Lizzie,” her friend informed her gently.

“Your favo-” MG tried, but she didn’t let him finish.

“Well, I don’t want it! I don’t want any of this!” she shouted once more. Everyone suddenly snapped their attention over to her.

“Lizzie,” Hope started cautiously.

“Don’t ‘Lizzie’ me!” she practically growled. “I just- I just need some air.” And with that, she spun on her heel and left the school, heading for the Old Mill, desperately needing to get away.

* * *

Lizzie let out a frustrated sigh, her Dr. Martens-clad feet kicking at the dirt as she approached the deck, dimly lit by the fairy lights strung over the bench and the few lamps here and there. She looked up, and it only takes her a second to realize she wasn’t the only one, her breath hitching in her throat upon realizing the person sitting on the bench was Sebastian. The vampire hadn’t heard her yet, or maybe he didn’t want to acknowledge her.

“Oh,” she muttered wordlessly, but he made no sign he’d acknowledged her, much less moved, so she stepped a little closer. “I didn’t- it’s you… I thought I was the only one,” she fumbled over her words, quietly, biting her lip nervously. 

“Hello, Elizabeth,” Sebastian finally said, turning to her, and broke the silence that had fallen over them, flashing her a crooked smile.

“Oh, hey,” she replied nervously, and wondered if this was such a good idea, if coming here in the middle of the night after a fight with her boyfriend was the right thing. [The attraction between them wasn’t lost on her, and despite all sense telling her she shouldn’t, she couldn’t help herself, couldn’t help the pull she felt to him]. “Uh, I shouldn’t- I shouldn’t have come here. I should, uh, I should go,” she voiced, shivering slightly and wrapping her arms around herself, stepping backwards.

“No, don’t!” Sebastian’s words snapped her out of her thoughts of berating herself for coming all the way here, and she stopped, her gaze snapping over to his unusually blue-green eyes. She gasped quietly. “I mean, please don’t go,” he said, his voice softer, gentler this time, and she nodded in agreement. Slowly, the blonde siphoner walked over to the bench, and sat down beside him, though there were still a few inches between them. Silence enveloped them again, her gaze trained on the vast expanse of water in front of them.

She was the one to break the silence this time, to both of their surprises, “what are you doing here, anyways?”

Sebastian let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair before finally glancing back at her. “I just… I just needed some time alone,” he revealed, and she nodded in understanding.

“Yeah, I get that,” she admitted in a soft voice, her hand dropping onto the bench, resting in the space between them, and he dropped his hand too, though didn’t touch hers. A pregnant, awkward pause enveloped them, as Lizzie’s mind spun with thoughts, while Sebastian merely watched her. Finally, she exhaled slowly, “it’s my birthday today,” she blurted, and gasped, her breath hitching in her throat with the realization. “Mine and Josie’s. Seventeen. I used to like my birthday,” the words tumbled out of her mouth, the surprise evident on Sebastian’s face, and she immediately regretted saying this to someone who for all she knew was practically a stranger. “Uh, I- I shouldn’t have said anything!” she immediately backtracked, pulling away. “I sh- I should go,” she muttered, practically jumping off the bench. But, a cool hand on her wrist stopped her, and she sat back down, looking over to him, her mouth gaping slightly.

“Elizabeth,” he whispered softly, “please don’t go.” Her shoulders slumped, and she sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear, before looking back towards the lake. “Please continue,” he added quietly.

“I used to like my birthday,” she picked up where she’d stopped, not missing a beat. “Always loved planning a party and dressing up,” she couldn’t smile fondly. “But then, last year something changed. My evil twin’s evil ex-girlfriend gave her this journal that had everything everyone at school has ever written in it. Including, my dad writing about something called the Merge. Basically, twins in the Gemini Coven are in line for leadership. The Merge is a battle of wills in which the winner literally absorbs the loser. Jo and I are the last remaining Gemini twins, so when we turn twenty-two, we have to Merge,” she finished, letting out a breath she’d been holding. When she finally looked back at him, she could see several emotions quickly flicker all over his face before he finally settled on shock, though he didn’t say anything. “So, I hate my birthday now because it’s one less year until I either kill my sister, or she kills me,” she said bluntly, and he drew in a deep breath.

“I’m so sorry, Elizabeth,” he finally said, his voice soft. She nodded, flashing him a quick smile.

“So, here I am, avoiding everyone because I can’t stand their sad faces, and I’m mad at my boyfriend because he wants to go to a party and make me feel special, and I don’t. Which makes it even worse, because it’s not even his fault, and I’m- I’m so selfish,” she admitted, her voice thick with emotion. Sebastian just shook his head before whirling around to face her.

“You aren’t selfish, Elizabeth,” he whispered softly, but she shook her head vehemently. She could feel the distance between them becoming smaller and smaller, could feel her heartbeat picking up, thrumming rapidly in her chest, her entire body pulsing with electricity. Their fingertips touched, and she gasped slightly at the electric shock that coursed through her, and when she looked up, she found his nose almost brushing against hers, their lips mere inches from each other. Her gaze automatically flickered to his lips, and part of her wanted to close the gap, but the thought was gone as soon as it had come, her rationality returning. She pulled away, and she could see the slight change in his expression, the slight disappointment.

“I have a boyfriend,” she mumbled. [ _Ethan._ _How could she have forgotten Ethan?_ Well, technically, Ethan was the reason she’d sought out some much needed solicitude, and the thought made her angry. Maybe she’d overreacted, but Ethan shouldn’t have pushed until she needed to get out to avoid an episode. Or, maybe she shouldn’t be hiding so much from Ethan]. “Ethan,” she clarified, though it sounded more like an afterthought. “I’m- I’m sorry,” she added as she stood up, running a nervous hand through her hair. Sebastian made no sound, though he was still watching her, his blue-green eyes trained on her. She turned to go, but his next words stopped her.

“Happy birthday, Elizabeth,” he finally said, his voice soft, and warmth automatically filled her chest. She couldn’t help but smile at him, and he flashed her a fond smile in return, the fairy lights strung over the deck casting a soft glow over both of them as they stared deeply into each other’s eyes, both unable to move.

Finally, she managed to pull herself away, and turned to leave, leaving the dark haired, brooding vampire with blue-green eyes alone on the deck. [It scared her in a way, how electrifying being in his presence was, and yet how comforting at the same time. Like every time she was around him all her worries, all her problems just vanished, and that hole in her heart filled up little by little, like that part of her that was missing was somehow there, yet gone at the same time. She knew she shouldn’t be attracted to him, that she shouldn’t seek him out, but she couldn’t help it. And, she hadn’t exactly sought him out after her fight with Ethan. But, she’d found him anyways]. She shook her head, her feet kicking at the dirt as she walked back to the school. Luckily, no one was really around so she managed to make her way to the room she used to share with Josie unnoticed. [She wasn’t ready for MG’s concern, or for Hope’s incessant questions, or for her dad’s sad look].

As soon as she entered her room, though, she froze, her entire body going numb, her eyes locked on Josie’s bed, letting out a silent scream. It was Hope. _Hope._ Hope lying in bed, covered in blood, her throat slit. She raced to the bed, her hand reaching out and pressing against her best friend’s skin, blindly searching for her pulse. But, she’d known the answer from the moment she saw her, lying there on her sister’s bed. So, she let out a quiet sob as she clung to her best friend, her fingers shaking as they drifted over the other girl’s deathly pale skin.

Moments later, light flooded her room, and there were people there, but Lizzie didn’t really register their presence through the haze, her eyes filled with tears. Her dad, MG, Kaleb were probably among them.

“Hope!” she heard Landon’s anguished cry, and felt him brush past her as he, too, collapses in front of the bed, but Lizzie didn’t move. “O- oh, God, Hope!” the boy cried, panic clear in his eyes. “Oh, God!” he repeated, and she glanced at him, finding him fumbling with Hope’s hand, his fingers caressing the tribrid’s hair. Tears spilled over his cheeks, but he made no move to wipe them away.

His name falls from her lips with a soft, “Landon,” as she tried to reach for him, but he yanked his arm out of her grip.

“Don’t!” he snapped in anger, and she flinched at the obvious anger in his tone. “This- this is- God, this is your room, Lizzie!” he yelled, the accusation clear in his tone, and she automatically ducked her head, pursing her lips.

“I’m… I’m sorry,” she whispered softly, reaching to wipe away her tears hastily.

“Now, man-” MG cut in, but cut himself off when she turned to him, shaking her head, and stepped back. Now, she it was clear who exactly had rushed into the room at her cries. MG, Kaleb and Jed. Her dad, his expression stricken. Jade was there too, to Lizzie’s surprise, her arms wrapped around herself, and she noticed Kaleb had a hand firmly on her shoulder, keeping her in place. [She could see the vampire fighting to keep away her vampire side, though she presumed that Hope’s supernatural nature was keeping her from going full-ripper]. As Landon continued to cling to Hope, she latched onto her best friend’s hand, her thumbs running over the other girl’s knuckles, which was strangely comforting despite the lack of pulse or movement.

“Elizabeth…” It was her dad this time, and she heard him shuffle closer, but she shook her head.

“Don’t…” she muttered, half-sobbing. Landon’s cries cut through the air, though they’d subsided slightly. Then, the door burst open, and everyone turned to find Rafael enter, a wild look in his eyes.

“Lan…” the werewolf said softly, and fell to his knees beside the Phoenix, pulling his best friend to him and hugging him tightly, letting Landon cry in his arms. She just sat there, watching the scene unfolding, her hand still holding Hope’s until it occurred to her that there was one person missing from the room, one person who might go completely mental once he found out, if he found out too late.

The blonde siphoner stood up numbly, passing by everyone on her way to the door, and only stopped when MG finally yelled her name loudly.

“Sebastian. I’m going to get Sebastian. She’s his best friend, too. Possibly his only friend here. He needs to know.” And, with that, she was gone, running out of the school, heading for the Old Mill.


	5. Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope's fate is revealed, followed by some interesting conversations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy this one! This chapter is slightly on the shorter side, but you're getting the next one, too. Stay home and stay safe ❤️

He hears her footsteps, and immediately turns around just as she stops. And, immediately he freezes, and knows something is wrong. Elizabeth gulps, as if swallowing back tears, but what really shakes him is her tear-stained face and the blood on her hands and striped shirt. His heartbeat is racing, and all he wants to do is run to her, wrap his arms around her and never let her go. But, he can’t. Because she’s not his to comfort. [But, this is Elizabeth. His second chance. Possibly his soulmate if he is to believe Cassandra. The woman he came back for. And, something was clearly very wrong].

“Elizabeth!” he exclaims running towards her, boyfriends and lost memories be damned. “Are you alright?” he demands, reaching for her, his fingers brushing against her wrist. She swallows thickly, and stands there, dazed. “Elizabeth!” he demands, and he knows how he must look, how he must sound. “Please,” he adds more softly, taking her hands in his, electricity pulsing as his skin touches hers. “Please- what’s- what’s wrong?” he stutters out, emotion clear in his own voice.

Elizabeth’s eyes fill with tears once more, and he can feel her hands shaking, though she doesn’t pull away from him. “Hope,” she whispers, her voice barely above a whisper.

His blood runs cold. _Hope? What could possibly have happened to the tribrid to have the witch this shaken?_ He wonders, though part of him already knows the answer. “Wh- what happened t- to Hope?” he demands, emotion clear in his voice, and he can feel tears prickle at his eyes. [Hope Mikaelson had become such an important part of his life, possibly the only thing keeping him sane since he’d come back. He never had any siblings in his former life, but if he did, he’d have liked them to be like Hope. Protective. Loyal. Kind. Just as broken as him. He thought of her as his sister as it was, bound by shared experience and a shared desire to ensure Elizabeth’s happiness].

“Sh- she- she’s dead.” The words fall from Elizabeth’s perfect lips, sucking the air out of his lungs, but Sebastian doesn’t say anything. He just stands there, his hands holding Elizabeth’s, though it feels like he’s barely touching her. The blonde siphoner continues to talk, but he hardly hears her, almost like he’s underwater, and he feels the pressure of her hands as she squeezes his.

“Fuck.” He hears her inhale sharply as the word escapes his lips, but he doesn’t really care, numbness overtaking him. “Wh- where is she?” he asks, and Elizabeth jerks her head in the direction of the school.

“My room,” she whispers. He yanks his hands out of hers only to scoop her in arms and vamp-speeds to the school before setting her down just inside. And then, he runs to Elizabeth’s room, Elizabeth rushing behind him.

“What the hell happened?” he bellows once he enters, and several heads turn to face him.

Hope’s Phoenix boyfriend, Landon, looks utterly wrecked, tears streaming silently down his face as he clings to his wolf best friend. The wolf, too, is in tears, though he’s clearly trying to keep it together for his best friend’s sake. “You

Besides him, Elizabeth sniffles and his heart clenches in pain. He slams his hand against the wall next to him, and Elizabeth gasps.

“How did this happen? Who did this?” he demands, though his lower lip is trembling with fear.

“Uh, Josie… Well, Evil Josie that is,” the blonde vampire next to Milton says with a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest.

“And you are?” he turns to her curiously.

“Jade,” she smirks. “You must be Sebastian.”

“Pleasure,” he murmurs before turning back and striding over to the bed, sinking to his knees beside it and reaching almost blindly for Hope. He inhaled sharply, her scent accosting him like a crashing wave, invading his senses before he releases a deep, shuddering breath, his shoulders shaking.

“Why?” The word falls from his lips in a half-sob.

“Because of me,” Elizabeth answers simply. “Because Hope’s my best friend. Because Dark Josie hates me,” she adds in a soft whimper.

“It’s okay, Lizzie,” the blonde’s father tells his daughter softly. “She’s not herself.”

“She’s going to wake up,” he observes abruptly, though his voice is devoid of emotion.

“What? How?”

“She’s a tribrid, Milton!” he snaps, glaring at the other vampire. “She was killed by non-supernatural means, it seems, so she’s going to wake up,” he attests. “She must,” he adds, more quietly. Then, he takes the Mikaelson girl’s hands within his, and squeezes. After a while, he switches positions with Elizabeth, and leans against the desk, his hands balled into fists, his gaze trained on Hope while Elizabeth is leaning against the bed, holding onto her best friend’s hands, and Landon is now sitting on the bed, brushing away Hope’s hair. The others fall into quiet chatter, all of it referring to Hope, or Josette, or both.

The next few minutes pass by slowly, and Sebastian feels like it’s forever. He’s snapped out of his thoughts by a loud gasp, and immediately he turns to find an alert Hope Mikaelson sitting up.

“Hope!” Elizabeth shrieks before throwing herself at her best friend, sobbing loudly. Landon lets out a loud sigh of relief, before he, too, throws himself at the tribrid. Soon, the Mikaelson girl stands up, and the others, too, join in on the reunion. Hope smiles at him over Milton’s shoulder, and he nods curtly before slipping out of the room.

* * *

After the tearful reunion, most of the others had left, so it was just her, Lizzie and Landon. By now, her best friend and boyfriend were also covered in her blood, and Hope’s stomach twisted unpleasantly.

“Sorry about the bed,” she tells the blonde, but her best friend rolls her eyes. [She’d just finished telling them about how exactly it had happened. That she’d gone looking for Lizzie and Dark Josie had walked in. And, before she knew it the other witch had slit her throat].

“Typical, Mikaelson. You come back from the dead and all you’re worried about is Josie’s bed? It’s not even mine,” Lizzie scoffs. Hope just rolls her eyes.

“We should, uh, we should all probably clean up,” Landon suggests, and squeezes her hand, his fingers laced with hers. With a smile, she squeezes it back.

“For once, mophead, you have a good idea,” Lizzie says, standing up.

“Yeah, we should all go to bed,” she adds, smiling softly. She takes Landon’s hand, and the two of them walk towards the door. “Thanks Lizzie. And, I’m sorry… God, I’m so sorry you had to…” she gestures to the bed, words clearly failing her.

“Oh, hell no, Hope Andrea Mikaelson! Don’t you dare blame yourself for this. This is not your fault. This,” she pauses, takes a deep breath, and continues, “this is all Josie. Or, well, that dark _thing_ in Josie.” Then, Lizzie pulls her in for another bone-crunching hug before finally releasing her.

After getting her clothes and taking a long, hot shower and washing off all the blood, Hope makes her way to her room. Landon’s already waiting for her, and thankfully Alyssa is nowhere to be seen.

“Hey,” he says, smiling softly at her.

“Hi,” she tells him before reaching to grip the doorframe as she stumbles slightly. In two slightly clumsy steps, Landon’s beside her, but she shakes her head.

“I’m fine, Landon, just…” she sighs, and makes her way over to her bed.

“Y- you haven’t fed, have you? You haven’t actually completed the transition. God, how could I have been so stupid and not seen this?” he rushes out, turning to face her. She nods, reluctantly. “But, why?”

“I- I just-” she stutters out softly, but he cuts her off.

“You don’t- Hope, tell me you’re not planning to-” he cuts himself off, shaking his head, and immediately she feels bad for upsetting him. She reaches for him, and gently cups his cheeks.

“No, Landon… I- I just don’t… know, I guess… I don’t know for sure that I want to complete the transition. It’s just- there is a small part of me that wants to take the easy way out,” she says quietly, her voice small, her gaze averted, and she can feel tears prickling at her eyes. Landon inhales sharply.

“But, why?”

“Because… I don’t know, I guess because a part of me still thinks I’m some kind of cosmic mistake. That I wasn’t meant to be- to exist,” she finally admits, her hands dropping onto her lap. But, Landon takes them in his, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles.

“Well, then, I guess I’m a cosmic mistake, too. I mean, I’m sure the universe didn’t mean for a human and a giant pit of doom to conceive a Phoenix, but that’s what happened. Maybe, we’re both cosmic mistakes. Maybe not. Maybe, we’re just meant to be,” he asserts in a husky voice, still holding her hands. Ever so gently, he lifts her hands to his lips and presses a kiss to her knuckles before resting her hands on his chest, and she smiles softly as his heart thrums rhythmically against his chest. “Besides, isn’t the reason for _your_ whole existence to get rid of Malivore?” he adds, a small smile playing on his lips. “To be the ultimate Wonder Woman?”

Finally, she looks up and meets his gaze, and chuckles, shaking her head.

“Okay, okay… I guess…” she trails off once more, and looks away pensively.

“What is it?” he asks quietly.

“Just… I’m scared… I’m scared you won’t look at me the same. That you won’t see me the same… that you won’t… love me…” she trails off, and a lone tear slides down her cheek. [She doesn’t know why this is affecting her so much. She’d been a tribrid since before she was born. Her mother and father were both hybrids. Her family were all vampires. Yet, she, Hope Andrea Mikaelson, was terrified that the boy she loved wouldn’t love her back once she became a tribrid].

“Hey…” Landon murmurs softly, cupping her cheek and lifting her head, so she can meet his gaze. “Hey, look at me,” he adds as he wipes the tear away with his thumb. “That is ridiculous, Hope. I love you. I will always love you, no matter what. I’d love you even if you turned into an actual unicorn.” They both laugh at that, and she smiles fondly at him. “I’ll love you forever, Hope Andrea Mikaelson. Tribrid, or unicorn, or whatever… I love you and I always will. You’re it for me, Hope,” he tells her, his voice thick with emotion.

“I love you, too, Landon Kirby. God, I love you,” she mumbles, sniffling slightly. His lips descend onto hers, and she responds to the kiss immediately, her tongue tangling with his as she presses herself closer, her hands resting at the back of his neck while his drift down to her waist, and he pulls her close. When air becomes a necessity, they pull away, and Landon rests his forehead against hers, his nose brushing against hers.

“Here,” he mutters after a while, tilting his head slightly.

“Landon, no,” she protests, the thought unfathomable.

“Hope, listen to me. You need to feed. Just…” he says seriously, baring his neck once more.

“I could- I could hurt you, Landon, or worse,” she argues, fear gripping her.

“Well, then, it’s a good thing I’ll just come back, right?” he quips, and she bites her lip reluctantly.

“Landon…” she whispers.

“I trust you,” he asserts, taking her hands in his once more and squeezing them. “I trust you, Hope,” he repeats in earnest. Finally, she sighs in defeat. Landon tilts his head, and she reaches up, pressing her lips against his neck and kissing it lightly. Her face changes, the veins becoming pronounced. Her fangs extend, and she bites into him lightly as Landon’s arms wind around her waist, steadying her. Blood floods into her mouth, and she closes her eyes as she swallows slowly, wrapping her own arms around Landon, her hands resting on his back, fisting his t-shirt in her hands. After a few more gulps of the delectable liquid, it occurs to her it might be enough, but she doesn’t pull away. It’s not just that the blood tastes heavenly. It’s also that it’s Landon. _Landon_.

Her boyfriend’s voice finally reaches her. “Hey, Hope, maybe that’s enough,” he mutters awkwardly, but it registers nonetheless and she pulls away.

“Sorry, I’m so sorry,” she murmurs.

“Hey, it’s fine. I’m fine. Let me just clean up,” he says and stands before going over to her dresser and grabs a few tissues. “Are you okay?” he asks once he returns to her side.

“Yeah,” she smiles softly. “Yeah,” she repeats for good measures. He smiles, and lies back, pulling her along with him, his arms wrapping around her. She nuzzles her cheek against his chest, and presses herself closer to him, her own hands resting on his chest, her fingers drawing circles absently. She finally looks up at him, and he smiles at her, and her heart melts as she drowns in his beautiful green eyes.

“I love you,” she says softly.

“I love you, too,” he murmurs before pressing his lips against her forehead in a feather-light kiss.

* * *

The next morning, Sebastian was already in the gym when she enters, his body moving quickly between the two wooden posts as he swings his sword in a flurry of movements. He notices her entering though, and stops.

“Hope,” he greets, smirking at her. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

She doesn’t respond, and instead grabs two wooden sticks lying around, and throws one to him. He catches it easily before setting the sword on the post.

“Let’s dance,” she quips, winking at him before charging at him with her stick. He blocks her attack easily, and swings back, but she manages to dodge by jumping backwards, her vampire speed and stealth kicking in. She lands on the balls of her feet, but almost loses her balance, not quite adjusted to her vampire side. Sebastian jumps over to her easily, and swings once again, but she manages to pull her stick out and swing just in time. Their sticks clash in a cacophony of sounds. She swings again, and he blocks the attack with force.

“So, what’s up with you?” she asks him after a while, jumping backwards to dodge his attack. The vampire ignores her, and swings again, but she just jumps in front of him and their sticks clash again. “What. Is. Up. With. You?” she demands, pointing each word with a swing of her stick. He blocks each attack, and grunts.

“Don’t know what you mean,” he shrugs, and charges at her again.

“Oh, come on, Sebastian! There is something up with you!” she yells as she flips back to dodge his attack. “Did something happen with Lizzie?” she wonders, swinging at him, catching him off guard. He stumbles slightly, but quickly catches himself.

“I-” he cuts himself off, and charges at her again. Again, a flurry of swings follows, their sticks clashing with each other rapidly, in a loud cacophony. “She- I- we almost kissed,” he finally says, flipping backwards and landing a few feet from her.

“What?” she exclaims, shocked.

“Yes. Elizabeth and I almost kissed,” he says with a sigh.

She vamp-speeds over to him, stick at the ready, but he blocks the attack.

“And?” she demands, swinging at him with force. He dodges it, and the dance continues, both of them swinging and dodging in a flurry of movements. [They’d been training together long enough that they’d gotten used to each other’s fighting stiles, and Hope was getting used to using her vampire side in the fight, too].

“And she pulled away and left! And then, she came back to tell me you were dead!” he snaps, charging at her with force, his stick clashing with hers with a loud, resounding slam.

“Oh. And, how do you feel?” she demands, blocking his attack before flipping over him, landing on her feet behind him, and readying her stick for another attack. He spins around immediately, his own stick ready.

“How do you think I feel? I feel like she still affects me like she used to! I feel like her presence drowns me! I feel like now I actually want to kiss her!” he shouts, swinging his stick towards her, and she barely manages to block the attack. The vampire sighs, and drops the wooden object, which clatters to the ground, before he walks over to the bleachers and plops down. With sigh, the tribrid drops her own stick and walks over to him, plopping down beside him.

“Are you okay?” she asks softly, reaching to rub his shoulder, but he pulls away, recoiling as if her touch had burned him. “Sorry,” she mutters quietly.

The vampire bows his head, exhaling loudly, and runs his hand through his hair. Finally, he looks up and turns to face her. “I feel drawn to her, still,” he admits quietly, and she notices the emotion written all over his face. She purses her lips, but doesn’t say anything, letting him continue. “I shouldn’t have come back,” he says, his voice thick with emotion. “I should have… I should have stayed.”

“Stayed?” she whispers, glancing at him curiously.

“With Cassandra.”

“Cassandra? What do you mean?”

“When I- when I gave up. After Elizabeth left, I gave up. I wasn’t going to come back to this world. And then, I- I suppose I died, though I’m not sure. And, I saw her. Cassandra. She was… as lovely as ever. And, I could have stayed there. With her. Even though she kept saying we weren’t soulmates, the choice was ultimately mine. And, I chose Elizabeth. I _chose_ Elizabeth. And, I _knew_. I knew she would not remember me. I knew that Cassandra would provide happiness. Happiness Elizabeth might not. But, I still chose Elizabeth,” he admits, and Hope stares at him, her mouth gaping open. “But, she chose him. _Ethan_ ,” he seethes venomously. “And, I’m aware it should not surprise me. But, there was a part of me that thought… that _hoped_ she might feel the same. That she might feel the connection we have- the connection _I_ feel,” he tells her, emotionally. This time when she reaches to touch his shoulder he lets her, and she leans closer to him, leaning her own head on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry,” she says softly. “I’m so sorry,” she repeats as she rubs his back.

“I know about the Merge, too,” he adds. “I mean… I knew some things before. But, last night, Elizabeth also shared what this Merge entails with me. And, if anything, I don’t- if she lives, I can live with her choosing him,” he shares, still sounding emotional. Hope gives him a look, not quite believing his words. “Alright, maybe not. But, still, I- all that matters to me is that Elizabeth lives,” he adds, pursing his lips. The tribrid nods.

“Yeah, I, uh, I know the feeling,” she mutters. The two of them sit there for a while before Sebastian stands up, and extends a hand to her.

“I promised Kaleb I would help him and the vampires with something,” he tells her, and the two of them walk out of the gym.

“Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later,” she tells him before turning around and heading for the showers.

* * *

She was in her room, sprawled on her bed listening to music while mulling over the past day’s events when the door opened to reveal none other than Hope Mikaelson.

“Hope, you’re alive, great,” she mutters, but doesn’t move. After a few minutes, she feels Hope lie down beside her, and the tribrid wraps one arm around her waist. Lizzie sighs, and finally turns to her, yanking her earbud out of her ear. “What?” she asks.

“Hi, Lizzie, nice to see you, too. Guess some things never change, you’re still a bitch,” Hope retorts, rolling her eyes in amusement. Lizzie just groans. “I talked to Sebastian,” the tribrid continues, and Lizzie finally turns to face her properly, her breath hitching in her throat.

“About?”

“You almost kissed,” Hope observes simply, not seeming at all bothered. Lizzie just shrugs. “Oh, come on, Lizzie!” the other girl exclaims.

“Yeah, we almost kissed. It was like- like something pulled me to him. I mean, I’m with Ethan. Yeah, sure I was pretty mad at him, but I wasn’t going to cheat on him. But, just- there’s something about Sebastian that just- all rationality went out the window. And, we almost kissed,” she admits with a sigh, tucking a curl behind her ear. “But, I wanted to. Does that make me a horrible person?” she glances over at the Mikaelson girl. Hope shakes her head.

“No, of course not. It just makes you human. I mean, he is attractive, so I guess I see why you were pulled to him,” she ponders.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I just- his presence is kind of intoxicating. And, I can’t- I can’t breathe when I’m around him sometimes,” the blonde siphoner admits. Hope just hums in agreement.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” she says after a while. Lizzie stares at her, shocked.

“Sorry? You died, Hope. I should be sorry because it happened here!” she exclaims, shaking her head.

“No, I meant I’m sorry about your birthday. I should have reigned MG in. That’s actually why I came to your room, to see if you wanted to talk,” Hope reveals.

“Oh. It’s fine,” she sighs, rolling her eyes. “All’s forgiven and forgotten. Maybe I shouldn’t have made such a huge deal out of it,” she sighs, and wraps her own arm around Hope, pulling her into a side hug. The Mikaelson girl returns it, and the two of them rest in silence for a few seconds before Hope sits up, pulling her along.

“You know, the key lime pie we were meant to eat yesterday is still in the fridge. You want some?” Hope suggests. At the mention of her favorite desert, the blonde perks up, her face lighting up.

“Really?”

“I’ll be right back,” Hope says, smirking. Seconds later, the tribrid is back, two plates of the mouth-watering desert in her hands. “You know, vampire speed definitely has its perks,” she adds as she hands her a plate and plops down on the bed next to her. Lizzie laughs, and grabs a forkful of the delicious pie.

“Thanks,” she tells Hope.

“You’re welcome. Happy birthday, Lizzie,” the Mikaelson girl smiles softly at her before she grabs her own fork, shoving pie into her mouth with a smirk.


	6. Master Plans and Moments of Comfort

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As Lizzie comes up with a plan to throw a wrench in Dark Josie's plan, the unsolved tension between her and Sebastian comes to a head. Ethan reaches out, and Lizzie enacts a risky plan to keep him safe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Hope you enjoy this one!  
> xx

The Super Squad, plus her dad, had convened in the Headmaster’s study, trying to figure out why Josie had killed Hope, and what they could do to stop her sister from hurting others. Until now, they’d all come up empty.

“I know why Josie turned Hope into a tribrid!” Lizzie snapped suddenly, and the chatter and bickering stopped as everyone fell silent, so silent you could practically hear a pin drop. Four sets of eyes peered curiously at her.

“What do you mean, Lizzie? She was obviously trying to kill me, but she didn’t expect I’d-” Hope started to argue, but Lizzie cut her off, shaking her head.

“No, she was trying to turn you. And, she succeeded,” she informed, her voice even. Her dad opened his mouth to argue, but she didn’t let him, and continued. “Look, Josie, dark and evil as she may be right now, still has Old Josie’s memories and knowledge. And, Old Josie knows Hope would turn into a vampire if she died because of her blood. But, this was Lord Josiemort’s plan all along,” she explained, making a face as everyone leaned forward curiously.

“What do you mean, Lizzie?” asked MG curiously.

“Malivore, duh. Look, we didn’t succeed in closing the pit because the monsters kept coming. But, the pit is really more of a thorn in my dear Evil Sister’s side. So, she wants to close it by pushing Hope in. Since Hope is now a tribrid…” she trailed off, and realization dawned on Hope’s face.

“Now, I can actually close it,” she sighed, and Lizzie was sure she was already imagining sacrificing herself once again like the martyr she was.

“Well, we’re not gonna let you do that!” Landon and her dad exclaimed immediately. Hope opened her mouth to protest, to argue that this was the reason for her whole existence, but Lizzie jumped in.

“They’re right. We’re not gonna do that. For one, because we kind of like you. For two, because _I_ for one am not gonna give Sister Satan the satisfaction of having a better plan than me,” she announced, flipping her hair over her shoulder. Her dad glanced disapprovingly at her, but Lizzie ignored him. “And, for three, because I _do_ have a better plan.”

“Do tell,” the Mikaelson girl said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Well, we’re sort of looking to Old, Save-Everyone Josie for the idea. Remember when she did that simu-version of Landon? Except it didn’t work to close the pit? Well, we’re going to do that,” she told them, smirking slightly.

“Uh, how is that going to work?” Landon wondered, confused.

“Well, mop-head, we’re not going to do a simu-version of you because that will obviously not work, but a simu-version of Hope herself. I’ll even siphon some of Hope’s magic and we’ll infuse it with her blood, and then we’ll lure Evil Josie to the Malivore pit and she’ll toss in Simu-Hope. Malivore will close, and that will be one less problem on our hands, so we can focus on my sister,” she finished triumphantly.

“Sounds amazing!” MG cheered enthusiastically, and she could see an excited look in his eyes.

“That’s actually not bad, Saltzman,” Hope quipped, albeit less enthused. Landon and her dad just nodded, though neither of them looked convinced.

“Because, the fact that Maligoo is still a thing, means we’re not one hundred percent focused on our bigger problem – Josie. Once, we’ve dealt with Malivore, we can deal with her,” she added, a small smirk on her face. Just then, the door opened to reveal a harried Sebastian along with Kaleb. The blonde looked away immediately, refusing to meet the vampire’s piercing gaze. 

“She’s right,” Sebastian quipped before anyone could say anything.

“What happened?”

“We had a little run in with something like a goblin? I’m not sure. But, it’s dealt with,” the vampire explained curtly, shrugging.

“Thing was absolutely disgusting!” Kaleb added, crossing the room to plop down next to MG, who scrunched up his nose, while Sebastian leaned against the bookcase. “Two of us _barely_ made it, then Jade and Wendy came in. Fireball just burned its dead ass,” he added, enthusiastically. Hope rolled her eyes, amused. MG furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

“Oh, so you’re saying you two tried to battle a _goblin_ , but needed two women to actually get rid of it?” Lizzie remarked incredulously, and the two vampires squirmed.

“Well-”

“Actually, yeah, no… see, we-” The two of them exploded in unison, but the blonde just rolled her eyes.

“Anyways, as I was saying, we need to deal with Malivore before we can fully deal with Josie,” she picked up where she’d left off, as if the boys’ interruption hadn’t occured, drawing everyone’s attention back to the matter at hand.

“Right. So, we just create another me, pump it with my blood and magic and hope Josie buys it and kicks it into Malivore?” Hope looked at her carefully for confirmation. Lizzie nodded, smirking.

“Now you get it, Mikaelson,” she quipped.

“I could help with the latter,” Sebastian said, straightening himself. She glanced over at him, though she did her best not to actually meet his blue-green eyes, but that particular task was becoming more and more impossible because she could feel his piercing blue eyes on her.

“Do tell, Teen Dracula,” she cut in impatiently, and a half-chuckle rippled through the room.

“Well, Elizabeth,” he drawled, and she could practically see him smirk. “Josette doesn’t know me, as you’ve often pointed out, I’m a mere stranger here. So, what if I were to persuade young and evil Josette to do as she wishes with Hope? Except, of course, it would be with this other version of Hope,” he explained, his voice soft and careful, and Lizzie finally tore her gaze away from the shelf he was leaning against to look at him. He smirked slightly, as if there was something he knew that no one else did, but his gaze seemed faraway. [Briefly, she wondered if he was thinking about her, and about the almost-kiss. That seemed to be the only thing _she_ could think about. And, being in his intoxicating proximity did not help one bit]. Shaking her head, she just sighed.

“It’s a good plan,” Hope agreed, smiling gently. Landon glanced over to his girlfriend.

“Does that mean I have to pretend to be with her while you’re here? I guess I’ll finally get a taste of my own medicine from that one time…” the Phoenix trailed off, but before he could continue his rambling, Lizzie cut in once more.

“Actually, no. You’re just going to have to date one version of Hope. The Simu-Hope,” she says, and both his and Hope’s eyes widen almost-comically. “Because, Our Hope will be out of town,” she revealed, another self-satisfied smile crossing her face.

“What?” Hope exclaimed, surprised.

“Um, so I need to get Ethan out of town, so I thought you would be the one to do it,” she blurted, almost in one breath, and her best friend continued to look curiously at her.

“Lizzie,” the tribrid said softly, carefully.

“I need to keep him safe. I may be mad at him, but I don’t want him to die. And, Dark Josie’s already put a target on him, I can’t- I _need_ him to be safe. And, there is one person I would trust to do it. You. Y- you’re practically invincible, Hope! Besides, with any luck, everything will be fine and we’ll deal with her, and you’ll be fine,” she argued breathlessly before walking over to Hope and squeezing her shoulder gently. “You’re my best friend, Hope. I trust you,” she added softly, looking seriously into the Mikaelson girl’s eyes, trying to make her understand. Hope nodded slowly, her gaze softening, and reached to pull her into a hug that she returned gladly.

“Okay,” the Mikaelson whispered in her ear. “Okay.”

Once they pulled away, they both turned to find her dad looking disapprovingly.

“Daddy,” she started carefully, pouting slightly.

“Elizabeth,” he countered. [She’d grown used to the soft, husky way Sebastian said her full name, as if she was somehow special, but whenever her dad used it, it just meant trouble].

“You don’t like the plan.”

“Uh, well, it- it’s a good plan,” he began, albeit reluctantly.

“I sense a ‘but’,” she huffed, rolling her eyes. “Look, dad, I get that you think it’s risky, but it’s really not. I mean, Hope is a tribrid. I’m a siphoner. We’ve got a full Super Squad of vampires and werewolves. Also, is there another option?” For a second, her dad just looked pensive, and Lizzie exchanged a fleeting glance with Hope while everyone else looked confused. Just then, doors opened, and her dad immediately turned to who was entering before he slumped, or more like fell flat on the floor.

Everyone just stared at Alyssa Chang as she strutted into the study.

“Well, that’s one problem solved,” the Asian-looking witch quipped, smirking. “Now, what’s the plan?” Lizzie groaned. [Having Alyssa Chang involved wasn’t high on her to-do list, but seeing as they had no choice, she just shrugged and told the other witch of their plan. Alyssa then decided she could be helpful in a number of ways before turning around and sashaying out of the room with a flip of her hair]. Lizzie just rolled her eyes, and grumbled something unintelligible under her breath. Hope didn’t look thrilled either, and the tribrid had tried to stop her, but she was out of options.

“That’s not how I was hoping to deal with dad. But, he’ll come around soon, so no point in being upset about it,” she shrugged nonchalantly. “We should go do the spell,” she added. Hope nodded in agreement, and the two of them left the room.

* * *

Having Simu-Hope walking around was strange, and after getting annoyed at her best friend’s clone, the blonde had knocked Simu-Hope out with Alyssa’s powder. Her dad had woken up a while earlier, and after some more talking and begging on her part, he’d agreed to their plan. He’d also insisted Hope and Ethan take his truck, so the Mikaelson girl was getting ready. Lizzie for her part had gotten a text from Ethan asking her to meet him at the Falls, so she’d gotten into her car and driven out to the last place she’d last been with the muggle. Ethan was already there waiting for her, so with a wistful sigh the blonde jumps out of her car. He seemed weirdly nervous, hands in his pockets, head down.

“Hey,” she said softly, pulling her jean jacket tighter around herself.

“Hey,” he said, clearing his throat. The two of them stared at each other, neither of them moving. [Lizzie wondered if she should say something about Sebastian, about the kiss, but she decides against it. _She_ was the one who was mad at _him_ , not the other way around. But, she’d been selfish, not telling him that she didn’t want to celebrate in advance, not thinking how he might feel].

“You wanted to talk, so talk,” she settled on instead, now crossing her hands over her chest.

“I, uh, I’m sorry,” he finally said, finally lifting his head to meet her gaze, and she couldn’t help but be a little startled by the emotion clear in his eyes. “I’m sorry for pushing you, I’m sorry for being annoying and inconsiderate, and not a good boyfriend. I’m just really sorry, Lizzie. And, I really, really like you. I know we started as just sex and a few casual dates, but you mean a lot more than that. I want you to meet my mom, even though it would be really awkward cause our parents are sort of together. I want you cheering me on at games, except the ones when it’s the Timberwolves against the Stallions. I want picnics at the falls, and I want car rides, and dates at the Mystic Grill. I want you, Lizzie Saltzman,” he finished breathlessly, and stepped closer to her until they were almost touching.

“I forgive you,” she said softly, tears prickling at her own eyes. “And, I really, really like you, too. And, I’m sorry for how selfish I was, for making yesterday such a big deal just because I was pissed at my sister,” she added, emotion obvious in her own voice. “And, all that sounds so great, and I want it all, too,” she continued before reaching to close the gap between them by cupping his cheeks, her thumbs slowly caressing his jawline. “I like you, Ethan,” she muttered softly, brushing her nose against his.

“You do?”

“I _like_ you, like you,” she asserted, smiling softly. Ethan chuckled, winding his arms around her waist, pulling her close.

“Good. I _like_ you, like you, too, Saltzman,” he whispered huskily. And then, she leaned forward and brushed her lips against his, tentatively. Ethan responded immediately, deepening the kiss while pulling her closer, slipping his tongue inside her mouth and kissing her senseless. She kissed him back just as eagerly, her teeth nipping on his lower lip, her tongue tangling with his. Finally, when air became a necessity, she pulled away, though she didn’t move away from him, and Ethan rested his forehead against hers. “Are we really good?” he asked after a while, his voice hoarse, sounding nervous. She nodded.

“Yeah. We’re good. C’mon, let’s go back,” she told him before lowering her hands and taking his. The two of them got into her car in silence, and Lizzie reached across the console to take his hand.

After several minutes, Ethan broke the silence. “Where are we going?” he asked her, a little dazed. She turns to him, and smiles.

“Let’s do something spontaneous. Something fun,” she blurted, causing him to furrow his eyebrows in that way she found adorable.

“Like?”

“Let’s go visit that out of state college you wanted to see,” she suggested, not missing a beat.

“Penn State?” he looked at her quizzically.

“That’s the one! I’ve never been to Philly. We can make it a getaway,” she rushed out earnestly, and took his hand, lifting it to her lips, pressing a tender kiss over his knuckles. “Please?” she added, pouting and gazing deeply into his eyes.

“That’s, uh, th- well, alright!” he finally said and smiled, a real smile, his eyes shining. “Let’s go to see Penn State. And, visit Philly. It’s a date,” he laughed. The blonde just beamed fondly at him. Ethan then lifted his hand to brush his fingers along her jaw before tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear. “So, does this date of ours make us official then?”

“Yes, it does,” she confirmed, though even as she said it her heart clenches slightly, but she ignored it.

The rest of the drive was quiet save for some playful banter, and Lizzie separated from Ethan, leaving him with instructions to get snacks from the kitchen with Pedro while she went to look for Hope.

“Lizzie!” the Mikaelson girl exclaimed when she pulled her inside her room and started throwing some clothes into a duffel bag. “What are you doing?”

“Packing. Going with Ethan to tour Penn State,” she answered, not missing a beat. Hope looked at her curiously.

“What? I thought your plan involved, or is this-” the tribrid started to question, but the siphoner didn’t let her finish.

“Except, I won’t actually be going. You will. Ethan called and asked me to meet him. I was going to let him grovel some more, but he looked like he really meant it, and it was kind of my fault, really, so I forgave him. Of course, I forgave him. Which, gave me the perfect way to get him to agree on a road trip. A road trip you’ll be joining him on while I make sure Josie shoves Simu-Hope into the Pit of Doom,” she informed her, shoving some more things into the duffel bag before closing it.

“Wait what? Does Ethan know I’m going?” Hope wondered, reaching to rest a hand on Lizzie’s shoulder, but Lizzie moved away, going to grab some more essentials.

“No. He thinks I’m going,” she answered simply.

“What? Wait, Lizzie, stop, please!” the other girl almost shrieked, reaching for her once more, grasping her shoulder. “What are you talking about?”

Lizzie just shrugged, and pulled an object out of her pocket before smiling triumphantly at Hope, unclenching her fist to reveal Clarke’s ring.

“Are you crazy?” Hope demanded.

“Possibly,” the blonde snapped. “But, I also have a grand master plan that ensures we close Malivore for good and keeps my boyfriend safe,” she added. “And, it involves _you_ , Hope Andrea Mikaelson, wearing this. I shaped it so you can wear it as a bracelet. Tell Ethan it was a birthday gift from some old relative,” she explained. “It’s a bit tacky, but oh well. It’ll do.”

“Wait. You want me to pretend I’m you?” the tribrid asked in shock. Lizzie smirked, amused, and rolled her eyes.

“Duh. It works well. For one, Ethan won’t have to question why _you’re_ going with him, since he’ll think _I’m_ going with him. For two, Dark Josie won’t suspect a thing with Simu-Hope. It’s a win-win,” she grinned in an almost scary manner. Hope bit her lip reluctantly.

“How the hell am I gonna pretend I’m you? What about- Lizzie, I ca- I won’t cheat on Landon!” she snapped, and Lizzie let out a chuckle.

“That’s what you’re worried about? Sex? Oh, just tell him you’re on your period. Or, stall. Whatever floats your boat. He won’t realize. Tell him you want to take it slow after the fight,” she shrugged. “Trust me.”

“You’re crazy!” Hope asserted once more.

“Yeah, you’ve mentioned my mental instability twice now,” the blonde snapped, bowing her head. Hope immediately gasped, her hand going to her mouth, before she reached for her once again.

“Oh my God! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry! That was so insensitive! I just- I’m so sorry!” Hope said repeatedly, visibly upset, and the blonde sighed.

“It’s okay,” she said softly before pulling the tribrid into a hug. “I know you didn’t mean it like that,” she added as Hope gladly returned the hug. When they pulled away, the blonde held the now-bracelet. “So? Will you do it?” she asked, looking carefully at her best friend.

“Fine,” Hope sighed, still a tad reluctant. “I’ll do it!”

“Great!” Lizzie exclaimed cheerfully, pulling her into another hug. Her phone pings. [It was Ethan, asking if she was coming]. “Time to go,” she informed Hope.

The Mikaelson girl put on the bracelet, and minutes later, another version of herself was standing in front of her.

“How does my hair look?” Hope asks, flipping her own blonde hair. Lizzie just stared in astonishment.

“Perfect. You’ll do great, trust me!” she told her encouragingly despite the pit in her stomach.

“What do we do about our phones?”

“Just tell him I borrowed yours,” she shrugged. “We gotta keep in touch,” she added, like it was obvious.

“Yeah. Okay. I got this,” the other girl was clearly nervous. Lizzie handed her the duffel bag, and she took it gratefully.

“Okay. Off you go. Be careful,” she told her. They exchanged one more look, and then, Hope, looking like her, left the room while Lizzie walked over to her window seat and looked outside. She watched as Hope, in her own flesh, met Ethan at her dad’s truck, and when Ethan leaned forward for a kiss, the other girl moved her head so he ended up kissing her cheek. Lizzie crossed her fingers tightly as she watched them get into the car and leave. An insistent knock on her door pulled her out of her reverie.

“Come in!”

It was MG, and he glanced at her cautiously.

“Hey,” she said softly.

“Uh, who am I talking to?” He looked confused, and Lizzie sighed. [She hadn’t told anyone about this part because she was sure they’d think she was actually crazy].

“Lizzie,” she answered simply.

“And, who was that with Ethan?”

“Hope,” she shrugged.

“Wow. I mean, I always knew you were amazing, but this is just… damn,” MG exclaimed grinning at her eagerly. She smiled, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes, and MG nodded before walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her. “It’s gonna be okay, Lizzie. I mean, your plan’s…” he paused, and she bit her lip.

“Crazy?”

“No. It’s not crazy. You’re not crazy. It’s genius,” MG finished, delighted. Lizzie just chuckled, rolling her eyes, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Eventually, MG left her to go to bed, and Lizzie, too, got ready, although at a slower pace to try to slow her spinning thoughts. But, as she lied in her bed, sleep didn’t come, and she keept tossing and turning. Finally, she gave up and sat up, running a hand through her hair. With a huff, she swung her legs down and got out of bed, reaching to grab a cardigan to wrap around herself, and her sneakers before making her way out of her room. Briefly, she contemplated going to MG’s room, but decided against it, and instead made her way outside.

Not surprisingly, Sebastian was sitting on the deck, this time at the very edge, his legs dangling over the water. He seemed to have sensed her presence, and turned, his gaze softening upon seeing her.

“Hello, Elizabeth. It seems we meet again, here,” he remarked, smirking slightly. She nodded.

“Uh, hey. I didn’t- I wasn’t really sure you’d be here,” she admitted in a soft whisper.

“Please, sit,” he motioned for her, and she did as told, taking a seat on the deck, her legs dangling over the edge. She sat at a fairly respectful distance from him, but she could still feel him as if there wasn’t any space between them, electricity pulsing between them. Silence descended between them as they both continued to simply sit there, broken only by Lizzie’s sigh. “So, what brings you here?” he asked her after a while, and she turned to glance at him, but he was looking straight ahead.

“Couldn’t sleep. You?”

“Something like that,” he revealed, sounding almost sad. “I saw Hope left. Disguised as yourself, which I thought was quite… clever,” he added, and she bit her lip.

“Yeah. Easier that way. Safer that way,” she sighed again. “And, Ethan thinks _I’m_ the one who went with him,” she added with a shrug.

“I hope your plan works,” the vampire said, and she could sense he was being genuine.

“Me, too,” she agreed, and finally he turned to her, his lips stretching into a small smile. She met his gaze, and once again felt as if the air had been sucked from her lungs, the atmosphere charged and pulsing with electricity.

“Sebastian,” she whispered, biting her lip nervously, her breath hitching in her throat.

“Elizabeth,” he replied breathlessly. She breathed out a sigh, and looked away, but she could feel his blue-green eyes on her. “What is it?” he asked after a few moments of silence. “What are you thinking about?”

“I’m thinking that this is all my fault,” she finally said after a long stretch of silence, her voice taking on a more emotional quality. “I mean, if I hadn’t- if I hadn’t been so wrapped up in my own drama, I would have noticed something was wrong with Josie. I would have- should have known. She’s my sister!” she burst out, the words tumbling out of her mouth emotionally. [She’d never voiced her thoughts to anyone, never told anyone of the almost crippling guilt she felt. But, with Sebastian it was different].

Sebastian reached for her then, his fingers brushing slowly along her jaw before he tucked her blonde hair behind her ear.

“’Tis not your fault, Elizabeth. Sometimes, darkness has a way of finding us,” he muttered, his voice soft.

“But, I- Josie and I share a connection. I should have felt it – the darkness – inside her. I’m- I’m a horrible, selfish sister,” she almost sobbed, tears prickling at her eyes. The distance between them grew smaller, and if she’d been paying attention she would have noticed he’d scooted closer to her, but she didn’t, and she didn’t really care either. He was cupping her cheek now, his touch electric, and she leaned into the touch almost instinctively.

“You are not. You are not selfish, Elizabeth. Trust me, I should know. And, ‘tis not your fault, what happened with Josette,” he whispered pointedly, his voice husky, and her breath hitches in her throat.

“How- how do you know that?”

“Because I believe you are too good for it to be your fault,” he breathed out, and she could feel his breath fanning her face, and she let out a barely audible gasp. They were so close to each other, their noses almost touching, and her heart hammered in her chest. [The rational part of her brain was telling her she should move, pull away, but she didn’t. She _couldn’t_ ].

“You cannot possibly know that,” she mumbled, her lips mere inches from his.

“Oh, but I do,” he murmured, his blue-green eyes gazing deeply into hers as his fingers continued to caress her jawline before moving to cup the back of her neck.

“Sebastian…” she whispered, though she wasn’t sure why, what exactly she wanted from him.

“Elizabeth…” he mumbled as he leans closer. “Tell me to stop,” he added huskily. She should have; that was the sensible thing to do, the smart thing to do. But, she didn’t. 

Instead, she leaned closer, and met his lips halfway, and her entire body exploded. He deepened the kiss, slipping his tongue into her mouth, and she responded immediately, pressing her body closer to his, her own hands moving to rest against his chest, her fingers fisting his shirt, gripping it tightly. His fingers tangled in her hair, and he pulled her even closer, and she let out a soft moan, muffled by his lips. Their tongues tangled together for a few seconds before Lizzie finally pulled away, a brief moment of clarity returning.

“Oh, God,” she gasped, horrified.

“Do you wish me to stop?” he demanded hoarsely. [She should have said ‘yes’ then. She should have pulled away. She should have told him she could not do this. But, she did not]. The blonde shook her head. Their lips crashed once more together as her hands drifted to wrap around his neck, and she grabbed onto his hair, pulling on it lightly. He pulled her closer, and their tongues tangled together, her teeth nipping on his lower lip as she pressed herself closer to him.

Finally, she pulled away, and both of them panted heavily as she stared at him, stunned.

“Oh, shit,” she cursed under her breath before scrambling to her feet.

“Elizabeth,” Sebastian muttered quietly.

“This shouldn’t have happened!” she hissed, almost venomously, glaring at him. “You sh- _I_ shouldn’t- this- we can’t!” 

“Elizabeth, I-” he started to say, but she interrupted him.

“No. I have a boyfriend. This can’t happen ever again!” And then, she turned around and raced back to the school. Sebastian did not follow her.


	7. Phase One of Operation False Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After parting ways with Lizzie, Sebastian makes a new acquaintance, who helps him with his issues in a new way. Then, Lizzie and Sebastian start Phase 1 of Lizzie's plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I'm still in exam period, but decided to still update this fic. I'll post Chapter 8 in a bit because it was meant to be one chapter, but that became really long, so I decided to split it. This might be a bit shorter, but Chapter 8 is longer, so they basically read as one thing split in two. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this double update!   
> Be safe and well!  
> xx

He watched her go, unable to move, to follow her. [He didn’t think it would have be wise to do it anyway; it would have likely resulted in an argument. And, maybe part of him wasn’t ready to hear it, for her to reject him]. So, instead he just watched her leave, his mind spinning, his emotions all over the place, and the taste of Elizabeth’s lips still consuming him. The vampire continued to sit there, not looking at anything in particular, just taking comfort in the stillness of the night. Eventually, he stood up and slowly trudged back to the school, wanting to drag it for longer, and avoid possibly running into Elizabeth. [Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about Hope, and the only other person who knew about his predicament was Landon, so really the only other person he didn’t want to see, couldn’t face was Elizabeth]. Once he entered the school, he vamp-sped to the dorms, and headed for the showers, eltting the hot water pour over him, as if it would wash away the night’s events. But, no amount of water could wash away the feeling of Elizabeth’s soft and luscious lips on his own, the way her tongue tangled with his, the way her teeth grazed his lower lips. No amount of water could wash away the memory of Elizabeth in his arms, the way his skin pulsed with electricity upon touching hers. No, no amount of water could. So, Sebastian eventually gave up and returned to his room, where he flopped down on the bed, suddenly exhausted, though his mind continued to spin. His phone (that Hope had given him for practical reasons) pinged, and when he glanced at the screen, the name on the display said it was from Hope. Briefly, he considered not reading it, thinking that perhaps Elizabeth and Hope had exchanged devices as part of their ruse, but it was indeed Hope.

_Hey. We’re on the road, I have my phone, so text anytime._

_Good,_ he replied as he flipped onto his back, tucking one hand under his head.

_You okay?_ He could easily picture Hope’s concerned frown, and rolled his eyes in response.

_Shouldn’t you be texting your actual boyfriend? I’m fine,_ he typed back as his mind drifted to a certain blue-eyed blonde. The three tell-tale dots moved several times before Hope finally sent a one-letter message. _K_. She did not message him again, and he had to admit he felt slightly guilty at how harsh he’d been, but didn’t act on it.

Instead, he let his mind fully concentrate on Elizabeth, as it almost always did without much effort. The only difference now was that after kissing her, after being so close to her like he hadn’t been in weeks, _months_ , actually, he knew exactly how he felt. The feelings he had attempted to bury, then simply ignore, resurfaced with a growing, aching intensity. And, now he knew. He was in love with her. All the feelings he had, everything he’d ever felt for the blonde siphoner had only increased since his return. Sure, he’d tried distracting himself, but it was impossible to do so, and eventually he’d given up. He _chose_ her. He _loved_ her. It had always been Elizabeth, and it would always be Elizabeth. It didn’t matter if she didn’t want to speak to him, or see him ever again. It didn’t matter that she simply did not remember him by no fault of her own, that she couldn’t remember any feelings she’d ever had for him, that she did not remember every moment they’d once shared. It did not matter because he loved her, and he chose her, and he’d choose her again if she gave him the chance. None of it mattered, because he chose her, and he loved her.

With a wistful sigh, he pulled out Cassandra’s pendant from where it usually rested beneath his shirt, cold against his chest, and held it between his fingers, gazing at it sadly and losing himself in the last time he’d seen Cassandra. [It occurred to him then that the last time he’d seen Cassandra was no longer her death, when he’d failed to save her, but their reunion in that place so full of hope, when he’d been ready to choose her, and she’d told him what Elizabeth meant to him. He’d attempted to deny the fact, to no avail, and had eventually accepted it and chosen Elizabeth. And, now, Cassandra was a mere memory while he craved the woman he truly loved. Cassandra with her lovely, curly blonde hair that framed her face and tumbled over her shoulders wildly, her bright green eyes so full of innocence, her perfect pink lips, her perfectly flushed cheeks. Somehow, the memory he had of her now was better, though it was slightly distorted, too perfect to be true, perhaps an effect of that _other world_. It was better than to remember her with pasty skin, blood dripping from her forehead, her once lovely golden curls a tangled mess, her once bright, green eyes dull and lifeless. It was better that way]. With a groan, he rolled over and closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep, to quiet his mind, though with little success.

His slumber was unfortunately plagued by nightmares of his past, and several times he woke up screaming, though each time it was a different name. _Elizabeth._ _Cassandra._ _He couldn’t save either of them, and had to watch them die._

“NO!” he cried, a pain-filled, tortured cry, and sat bolt upright, almost tumbling out of bed, his sheets tangled around him, sweat coating his brow, and gasping for breath. _Blasted nightmares,_ he cursed in his head, gripping and yanking hard on his hair before deciding that there was no way he would fall asleep again, so he had to find something else to do. With a heavy sigh, he decided to go and work out, so he pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a lose t-shirt, and left his room, heading for the gym. Thankfully, and not surprisingly, it was empty, and he skipped the sword, deciding to try the punching bag. The punching bag proved to be a good idea as his fists collided with it with force, his entire body taut as he moved stealthily across the floor. He continued to swing and hit with full force, throwing himself fully into it, his fists connecting with the punching bag only intensified by his erratic emotions, each punch harder than the last. Eventually, he stopped, and slumped against the punching bag just as the door to the gym opened to reveal the blonde, curly-haired vampire by the name of Jade. He’d met her a handful of times in class, and she’d been in Elizabeth’s room the night of Hope’s ‘death’.

“Sorry,” she said in a soft, breathless whisper. “I didn’t know- I was just- I was just feeling a bit restless, thought I’d come beat the living daylights out of the punching bag,” she stammered, pulling her curly blonde hair into a high ponytail. She was wearing gym clothes, the kind of tight ones Hope wore as well, though her shirt was tight while Hope preferred lose fitting t-shirts. She flashed him a small smile, and he nodded.

“I was, uh, I was just- I needed an outlet for my anger,” he admitted, running his hand through his hair.

Jade’s tentative smile turned into a smirk, “would you be up for a partner then? I know you and Mikaelson spar all the time, and with Mikaelson gone…” she shrugged suggestively. He pondered her suggestion for a few seconds as she stretched, her body flexing in various positions, and giving him a fairly generous view of her butt along with other parts of her body. [He had to admit she was attractive. _Not as attractive as Elizabeth!_ his mind screamed, but even he knew he could not have Elizabeth yet]. With a sigh, he nodded decisively.

“Why the hell not?” he quipped. “How do you prefer? Hope and I usually use sticks, but I’ve never actually punched a girl,” he added, the thought just occurring to him in the moment as she stood up, though neither of them moved.

Then, Jade made her way to where most athletic supplies were stashed and started wrapping her hands before throwing him two strips as well. [He’d gone bare the first time around, but took her lead now].

They circled each other for several long seconds, both of them regarding the other one carefully, waiting for the other to swing first.

“Scared to punch a girl?” Jade quipped, smirking at him. He scoffed, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, please,” he muttered, flashing her a smug smirk before vamp-speeding over to her, moving to punch.

Jade punched first. He dodged, flipped over and swung, catching her side. She didn’t even flinch, and flipped over backwards, swung her leg (which he caught) before catching his arm and flipping him onto his back. She laughed, amused, a sweet, musical laugh. He snorted, and grabbed onto her leg, yanking her down with him before sitting up and laying down on top of her, pinning her arms above her head.

“Got you,” he grinned. Jade rolled her eyes, and yanked her arms out of his grasp, and brought them up to his shoulder blades. He stilled.

“What?” she asked, still amused.

“I- I can’t,” he muttered, propping himself on his arms.

“Why?”

“I- there is- I’m in love with someone else,” he admitted, and averted his gaze.

“Lizzie?” she guessed, though he was sure it wouldn’t take a genius to do so. At his lack of response, she continued, “she’s dating the muggle. The human, I mean. Ethan.”

“Right. Still,” he mumbled, though he really didn’t have much of an argument at what she was very clearly suggesting.

“Still? I’m not looking for a soulmate. Just a good time,” she laughed like he was being ridiculous. [Perhaps he was]. Her hands drifted to wrap around his neck loosely. “An outlet for my emotions,” she added, smirking coyly at him. He pondered the idea for barely a second, for his answer was obvious. [An outlet was what he needed. Why deny her?] He nodded, and brought his hands to cup her cheeks, his body slumping on top of hers. And then, he kissed her. She responded easily, not missing a beat, and wrapped her legs around his hips. He wasted no time in removing his hands from her cheeks to find the hem of her very tight tank top. Jade, too, yanked on the hem of his t-shirt and ripped it off. It was primal instinct then as they tore each other’s clothes off, bodies pressed against each other, only pausing to remove clothing. He kissed her roughly, biting a sucking on her lower lip, and she dug her nails into his skin, moaning in pleasure, or pain, he wasn’t sure. Jade, too, responded in kind, biting and sucking roughly on his lips, his collarbone, digging her nails painfully into his skin, her hips grinding rapidly against his.

“Fuck me… now, Sebastian…” she panted against his lips as he prepared to thrust into her. He complied, and she moaned, her eyes tightly shut, her back arched. He, too, moaned as he pumped into her, and she rode him out, her movements just as frantic. When they finally came, both of them moaning and screaming each other’s names, his hands clasped onto hers, pressing her into the floor, he practically collapsed on top of her and rolled off, and they laid side by side on the gym floor.

“Fuck that was…” she trailed off, panting.

There was no tenderness as with Elizabeth, no sweet nothings murmured with her head against his chest, her body curled around his. It had been painful, full of lust and rage, not passionate and exhilarating, yet tender and loving all the same as with the siphoner witch. He shook his head, refusing to think of Elizabeth.

“Thank you, Jade,” he told her, panting himself. She smirked.

“No problem. And, I was pretty pleased too,” she told quipped, her green eyes shining. She’d put her hair back into its ponytail (he’s not sure when he’d yanked it free), and was in the process of getting dressed. He did the same, though only managed to pull on his boxers and pants as his t-shirt was in tatters. They left the gym together, sneaking furtive glances at each other and walked back to the dorms. Just as they were about to separate in front of his room, he yanked her inside and pinned her against the wall.

“You know,” he hissed lowly, “I haven’t quite gotten the full of it out… and, I have not pleased you. So what do you say to another round?”

“Thought you’d never ask,” she quipped, her eyes gleaming as her hands rested on his hips. He yanked on her hairband hard, snapping it open and releasing her golden curls. And then, he kissed her.

* * *

Lizzie sat, cross-legged on the floor of the room she normally shared with Josie. Her blonde curls were pinned up in an elegant twist, held together with a long, golden butterfly pin she’d received from Josie for her sweet sixteen the year before, and she was wearing her uniform – dark tights, checkered short skirt, white shirt and bomber jacket, her feet clad in her favorite cherry Dr. Martens. MG was lounging on her bed, reading one of his comic books and sipping lazily from a blood bag (she’d siphoned him), while she carefully arranged the space around her. The floor was littered with candles and a map was positioned in front of her along with Josie’s locket that Hope had once given her, and a dagger.

“You sure about this?” MG wondered, glancing up from his comic. Lizzie rolled her eyes, though she was touched by his concern.

“It’s a locator spell, MG, not an immortality spell. I’m fine,” she snapped, her eyes fluttering closed. The candles lit up, and the entire room glowed with warm light. MG had switched positions, and was no watching her from where he was perched on the edge of her bed.

Slowly, Lizzie grabbed the knife and sliced across her palm, drawing blood before she grabbed the locket and a lock of Josie’s hair from her hairbrush before she closed her eyes once more, and concentrated.

“ _Phasmatos tribum nas ex veras…_ ” she began to chant softly, willing herself to find Josie, searching for that connection to her sister. Images flashed at the edge of her mind, but nothing concrete, and she continued to chant, and it felt like a stretched rubber band, waiting to snap. “MG?” she mumbled, not stopping.

“Yeah?”

“Come here and touch my shoulder. I need- I need more magic,” she panted, and then she felt the pressure of MG’s hand on her shoulder before she felt his energy pulsing against her skin, and she fed off of it. The images flashed, though more intense now, and she could recognize some of them. Trees. Headstones. _Mystic Falls Cemetery. Salvatore crypt._ The rubber band snapped, and her eyes flew open, and she dropped the objects onto the floor. MG, too, fell backwards, and sagged, panting heavily. “Oh my God, MG!” she exclaimed, and rushed to him, reaching to steady him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, fine, don’t worry about me,” he attempted a smile, but didn’t quite succeed. She reached on her bed, and fumbled for the blood bag before shoving it in MG’s hand. “Thanks,” he smiled. She nodded, and stood, chanting the healing spell in her head so the gash on her palm where she’d sliced her skin would heal before she blew the candles and began placing things back in order.

“So?” MG finally spoke after several long sips of blood. Lizzie opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted by the door opening. It was Sebastian.

“Don’t you know how to knock?” she snapped, though she wasn’t actually annoyed. The vampire sighed, but stepped inside nonetheless.

“My apologies. Hello, Elizabeth. Milton,” he greeted them, though he barely glanced at MG.

Lizzie rolled her eyes, scoffing. “What do you want?” she demanded as she moved her hands around, placing her hair brush on the dresser, and Josie’s locket next to the jewelry box.

“Well, I was going to come in check if you’d done the locator spell on Josette. When I walked by, I heard you doing said spell, so I decided to drop in, so you could tell me. So, Elizabeth,” his eyes flickered to hers as he leaned against a shelf, hands crossed over his chest, “where is Josette?” She licked her lips, as she continued to stare at him, and couldn’t help but notice how attractive he looked. He was wearing dark jeans and a dark blue t-shirt that brought out his eyes along with a black leather jacket, his hair beautifully tousled. _Stop it,_ she scolded herself.

“Well, for your information, my evil sister is in the cemetery. Mystic Falls Cemetery, Salvatore crypt to be exact,” she informed him, rolling her eyes theatrically. Sebastian nodded, his gaze not leaving hers, and her stomach did flips as his blue-green eyes continued to be locked onto her own.

“Well, then, I’ll be on my way,” he smiled, though it was more of a grimace. “Keep an eye on Simu-Hope, wouldn’t want her to ruin your plan, right?”

“Don’t worry, I’ve put a boundary spell on her,” she rolled her eyes once more. “I also put a cloaking spell on you so she won’t be able to track you,” she added as Sebastian straightened himself and moved towards the door.

“Thanks,” he muttered, his hand on the doorknob when Lizzie finally shook herself out of her trance.

“Wait!” she exclaimed, and he turned, a surprised look on his face. MG was just as confused, but Lizzie paid him no mind.

“Yes?”

Lizzie squirmed as she realized what was happening. “Uh, um- be careful,” she stuttered out, her gaze locked with his. Sebastian gave a curt nod before vanishing out of the room. Lizzie turned back to MG. “What?”

Her friend shook his head, “oh, uh, nothin’…” he shrugged. “Should we go eat?” he asked just as her stomach rumbled slightly. She nodded, and stood up, pulling MG along with her. On her way out, she grabbed her bag before looping her arm through MG’s, and the two of them made their way to the dining hall.

Lunch was fairly pleasant, and Kaleb, Raf, Jed and Landon all joined (Simu-Hope still within the boundary spell), and Lizzie smiled and laughed along with everyone. Unfortunately, when lunch ended her mood evaporated, and when her dad called for her, she trudged to his office reluctantly.

“Daddy?” she announced as she entered, though it sounded more like a question. She immediately she knew this conversation would not end well.

“Elizabeth,” he greeted her, unimpressed. “Sit.”

She bit back a retort, and took a seat across from him. “What’s up?”

Her dad sat back, and laced his fingers together, trying to give off that college professor aura, but Lizzie just rolled her eyes. “I think you should let me help you with your plan. It’s a very risky plan, and I think you need help,” he told her, causing her to grumble.

“It’s fine, dad. No need to worry, the Super Squad is handling it,” she told him, crossing her arms over her chest. Her dad smiled tensely.

“I understand, but- look, Lizzie, sweetheart, I don’t think _you_ should be handling it. You’re too fragile to deal with this, and really this plan isn’t even that good. You should leave this to someone else and just focus on dealing with this-” Lizzie saw red, and suddenly all the emotions she’d been pushing down came flooding back. She stood up so quickly, the chair almost fell over and her dad stared at her in shock.

“You’re never gonna accept it, are you?” she snapped, stepping back as her dad stood up. “You’ll never accept that I am just as smart, that I’m a good witch, that I can come up with good, even epic plans, will you?” she yelled, and she heard the various objects in her dad’s office begin to clatter. Her dad looked around worriedly, but she didn’t care, and his silence only served to fuel her anger even more. “I am a Gemini witch, I am a Saltzman, I can do this!” she screamed before turning around and running off, past the students who just stared at her and mumbled amongst themselves about ‘Crazy Lizzie’; past the teachers who attempted to express their concern. She ran out the door and past the field where students were playing a friendly match of Wickory. She ran, and didn’t stop until she reached the only place of refuge. The Old Mill.

* * *

Sebastian strolled into the Salvatore crypt, and wrinkled his nose at the smell.

“Well, hello.” The dark version of Josette stood in front of him, a small smirk on her lips as she seemed to be admiring her manicure.

“Are you Josette Saltzman?” he demanded in a husky tone as he leaned against one of the crypt’s walls.

“So, what if I am? Who’s asking?”

“My name is Sebastian,” he smirked. “I am a very old vampyre, and I woke up to find out such a thing known as Malivore exists,” he informed her.

“Nice meeting you, Sebastian,” she reached to shake his hand, and he clasped it quickly before pulling away. “Yeah, Malivore is a pain in the ass, but I’ll get rid of it. I’m just biding my time,” she said, shrugging.

“Ah, I see,” he nodded. “You see, Malivore is a great pain for me. I used to be known as Sebastian the Merciless, and I lived during the Golden Age of vampyres. Back when men used to cower at the sound of my name, and women screamed when they saw me. But, now, not only do I have to deal with this Salvatore School who is trying to get ahold of me, but there are strange monsters roaming around. Alas, I plan to leave this town, it is much too small for my tastes, but I wish to cause some chaos first,” he smirked, and his stomach twisted slightly upon hearing his own words. Josette didn’t seem to catch on, though, so he continued. “And, I wish to eliminate this Malivore first before I do so. It’s a great inconvenience,” he flashed her a devilish smirk. Josette giggled, a shrill sound, and smiled deviously.

“It is an inconvenience, and I do like the sound of chaos. Josie Saltzman. Pleasure to meet you,” she smirked.

“Pleasure is all mine, Josette. Now, how may I help you?”

“Well, maybe you’ve heard of this student at the Salvatore School. Goes by the name of Hope Mikaelson?” she asked him, staring deeply into his eyes.

“The newbie vampire?” he asked. Josette nodded. Yeah, she tried to catch me, but failed. Vampirism seems to not suit her; she’s being trained by a human,” he informed her.

“My dad.”

“Huh,” he shrugged. “In any case, why do you need her?” he demanded.

“I’m not just going to tell you,” Josette half-scoffed, half-chuckled. “But, suffice to say, I need her to get rid of Malivore. So, do you want to help?”

“Sure, suit yourself, Josette. Like I said, I hope to leave this place soon. Well, if you need Hope you need only to wait till tonight because I believe I heard her tell one of her turnip-like friends she’ll be coming by the cemetery tonight. And, if you aren’t sure about taking her on,” he paused, and Josette scoffed, rolling her eyes, “trust me, you will win. Hope seems to be struggling with her vampire nature, she won’t be ready for you. Just be quick, and you shall win,” he drawled.

“And, why should I believe you?”

“Because I have no loyalty to anyone around here. And, if whatever you plan to do rids the world of Hope Mikaelson, then all the better for me,” he retorted.

“And, what do you want in exchange,” Josette asked, and he smirked. [She was buying all of it, and Sebastian was glad because it meant this would be over by tonight].

“When I wish to commit my unspeakable crimes on this sleepy little town, you won’t stop me,” he said.

Josette extended her hand, “deal.”

“Deal,” he said, shaking her hand.

“Great. Maybe I’ll see you, maybe I won’t,” she said, and he took that as indication to leave.

“Goodbye, Josette,” he muttered before vamp-speeding out of the crypt, and out of the cemetery.


	8. For I Fancy You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sebastian goes to tell Lizzie about Dark Josie agreeing to the plan, but Lizzie is having a rough time after her argument with her dad. The two share a moment. Later, Lizzie and the Super Squad complete Phase 1 of her plan, and Sebastian and Lizzie share another moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update! Yay! Hope you enjoy this one, too!   
> Be well and stay safe!  
> xx

Sebastian walked in the direction of the Old Mill, determined to find Elizabeth, and inform her of the latest development in her plan. [Josette had indeed taken the bait, and he’d told her Hope was now vulnerable as a new vampire, so it would be easier to subdue her, and that she planned to drop by the cemetery that very night, so she could take her then. Of course, he was referring to Simu-Hope, but Josette didn’t know that. At first, she’d been a little reluctant to listen to him, but he had managed to gain her trust, and now he’d successfully played his part in Elizabeth’s Master Plan]. Upon nearing the Old Mill, though, he came to an abrupt stop when he heard an anguished scream and a crash, and wondered if Milton had been mistaken and Elizabeth wasn’t there, or if it was Elizabeth and something had happened to her. Not taking another moment to think, he vamp-sped into the place they once used to call theirs, and stopped upon entering, moving to dodge a flying poker.

“Elizabeth?” he gasped upon seeing the blonde, but she paid him no mind. Her magic was obviously out of control, and her expression looked anguished, as if she was in pain. Objects were strewn all over the floor, and he watched almost mesmerized as she used her magic to lift several candles up in the air before dropping them with a loud crash.

“Aargh!” she screamed, half-sobbing before more objects floated in the air and crashed on the floor.

“Elizabeth,” he tried again, his voice soft, but the blonde ignored him, hurling a candle stick in his direction that he dodged thankfully. “Eli-” he opened his mouth to repeat her name, but decided against it, and instead closed it. He made no move in her direction, and merely watched as she continued throwing objects around, each falling with a loud crash while she half-screamed, half-sobbed in something between pain and anger. Her eyes were red from tears, and her cheeks were tear-stained, and her blonde hair was a mess. And, all he wanted to do was to go to her, to wrap his arms around her and tell it would all be alright, but he couldn’t because obviously Elizabeth needed to let it all out. So, he just watched her, his fists curled, nails digging painfully in his skin, grimacing at seeing her in any form of pain. Finally, she collapsed on her knees, and several objects fell to the ground around her with a loud crash.

“Aargh!” she cried out yet again, a painful, anguished half-sob, half-scream, and he flinched, shuddering. Finally, he reemerged, and she looked up, finally noticing his presence through glassy eyes, and let out a whimper, sounding vulnerable and not at all like the Elizabeth he knew. He was at her side in seconds, falling down to his knees beside her, and hovered just before touching her, his earlier protective need of doing so replaced by apprehension.

“Shh,” he finally whispered, his voice soft and gentle. “It’s all right, Elizabeth… it’s going to be all right,” he murmured lowly, and finally gave in to his instinct and reached to brush a wild curl from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Her breath hitched in her throat, and her tear-filled blue eyes flew up to meet his, his chest constricting at the pain he saw in hers.

“Don’t-” she paused, shutting her eyes briefly before reopening them, “don’t… kiss me,” she whispered hoarsely, and he swallowed back an amused chuckle. Despite his pain and desire to do the opposite, he nodded.

“Elizabeth, are you all right?” he enquired softly.

“I-” she sniffled, and blinked away a few tears, running the back of her hand beneath her eyes, wiping them away hastily. Then, she continued, “do I look okay to you?” He flinched at her biting tone, and sighed heavily, shaking his head as his hand dropped into his lap.

“I’m sorry,” he offered softly, and looked down. An uncomfortable silence settled between them, and he shifted slightly, though not unpleasantly. “What… happened?” he finally asked, unsure whether he should, what Elizabeth’s reaction would be.

“I- I got into a fight with my dad. And then, I snapped,” she admitted sadly, and bowed her head as more tears poured forth. He didn’t say anything, sensing she was about to continue, and instead played with his daylight ring. [The daylight ring she’d given him, and he could recall the car trip that had followed her giving it to him. He was suddenly filled with longing to hold her in his arms, to cradle her head in his hands and sink his fingers in her golden tresses, to press his body against hers and kiss her senseless, groaning when she would nip at his lower lip whilst their tongues would tangle together. _Snap out of it,_ he snapped at himself, and shook his head, his fists curling almost instinctively]. “S- sometimes, I- I have these episodes,” she finally said, stumbling over her words. “I just- my magic, and then I get so- I just snap. It’s crazy, I know. I’m crazy… No, not just crazy, I’m- I’m just broken…” she continued, and he had the sudden urge to unleash the worst of himself on whoever had told her she was broken, on whoever made her feel this way, the protectiveness he’d always felt for her back like never before. [ _The world is cruel to those it considers broken,_ he recalled telling her once, the first time he’d let her in, the first time he’d been vulnerable with her. She had looked at him in that honest, daring way of hers, but she hadn’t run. And, that had been enough. He’d never really considered how true those words had been. They’d been two broken people who had found each other, had taken refuge in each other, and she had begun fixing his broken pieces, and he’d fallen for her. Unconditionally, irrevocably fallen for her, and it had been her – Elizabeth – for the longest of times. Because, it had always been Elizabeth]. He didn’t give in to those urges though, and instead reached for her hand, resting his palm on top of hers as she rested it on her knees, his thumb brushing over her knuckles, the familiar electricity pulsing beneath his skin. Elizabeth’s breath hitched in her throat, a soft gasp escaping her, and her eyes snapped over to his once more, surprise written all over her face.

“You aren’t broken, Elizabeth,” he said softly, but she shook her head in obvious disbelief.

“No, I’m worse than broken,” she half-sobbed brokenly, “I- I’m shattered.” His heart clenched at her words, at how the beautiful blue-eyed blonde had gone from confident to insecure in a matter of hours since he’d last seen her.

“No!” The words escaped his mouth before he could stop them, and she flinched as she stared at him. He swallowed thickly, and bowed his head. “Forgive me, I didn’t mean… I just meant that you’re not… shattered. Or, broken. You’re just- the world is cruel, too cruel, Elizabeth,” he stuttered, emotion and pain coating his voice. “The world is cruel to those it considers broken, but that doesn’t- you’re not, Elizabeth. Broken, I mean. You’re simply not. You are…” he paused, and bit back what he actually wished to say to her, because she would recoil from him and remind him of her boyfriend. _Perfect,_ he wished to say. _Or, beautiful. Amazing. My soulmate._ But, he didn’t voice any of those things. Instead, he continued, not missing a beat, “you are kind, and brave, and intelligent. You are not broken, Elizabeth. Or, shattered. You are… enough.” _More than enough._ When he finished, he saw tears pooling in her eyes, and her lip was trembling, and he sighed heavily. “Shh, I didn’t- I didn’t mean to make you cry,” he whispered quietly. Elizabeth nodded and sniffled, and laced her fingers with his, squeezing his hand lightly, and muttered a quiet, “thank you.” He nodded, a ghost of a smile forming on his lips.

“Anyways, what did you want? I guess not to deal with this…” she sniffled and gestured around herself.

He ducked his head, his cheeks flushing slightly, “sadly not. But, I’m glad I could help. Actually, I just met with Josette, and managed to convince her to use Hope’s vulnerable state to shove her into the pit,” he informed her, chuckling bitterly. Elizabeth peered at him curiously.

“Did my evil sister agree?” she asked, grimacing, and he nodded.

“Yes. Tonight,” he informed her curtly. “Are you… sure you should be there? I could go? Or, someone else. I mean, I-” but, she cut him off.

“I’m sure. I’ll be there,” she smiled a little, now calm, her tears long gone, and there was that proud gleam in her eyes once again. After all, her plan _was_ working. “Have you, uh, have you told Hope? I only spoke to her a little earlier, but then the whole dad thing happened, and oh well…” she trailed off, almost meekly, and shrugged.

“Uh, yes, I did. She knows, I talked to her after speaking to Josette,” he flashed her a tight smile. “She said they’re fine, that your boyfriend is fine,” he added, and she nodded in gratitude.

“That’s- that’s good. That’s really good,” she smiled at him. “Thanks.”

“Of course,” he attempted to smile, though he didn’t quite succeed, and glanced over at their still-joined hands, though he made no move to pull away, for he felt no desire to do so. [Her presence was intoxicating, and her touch was electric, and oh how he wanted to kiss her. Or, tell her how he feels. But, he couldn’t because that would mean hurting her, making her choose. _But, who would she choose?_ Him, a guy she barely knew that she’s kissed once? Or, her boyfriend, who, by all accounts was a good guy who treated her right, and most of all was human while he was a moster. Deep down he knew the answer; in his heart, he knew no matter how much it hurt. And, it hurt. It hurt like hell. So, he pretended he didn’t know because it was easier].

“We should, uh, we should probably head back, right? I mean, I have class later, and you do, too. It wouldn’t do you any good to skip,” she spoke after a while, her voice gently, and he nodded.

“Yes, uh… you’re right,” he smiled tersely, and stood up swiftly, pulling her along with him. She stumbled slightly, but he steadied her easily, and they both stopped, gasping quietly as he held her shoulder, and they were mere inches from each other once more. He wanted to kiss her desperately, so he glanced breifly at her lips, but he knew he couldn’t because he was sure she would hate him. So, instead he tilted his head up and pressed his lips to her forehead briefly before pulling away entirely.

“Goodbye, Elizabeth,” he muttered, and turned around to leave, the feeling of Elizabeth’s skin beneath his lips still lingering.

“Sebastian,” she said, her voice louder than before. “Wait. I, uh, I- thank you. For before. You’re practically a stranger, and you… just, thank you,” she smiled softly at him, and he smiled back before vamp-speeding away, the feel of her surrounding him, enveloping him like a blanket. 

* * *

Lizzie walked back towards the school, feeling much better. She didn’t know why, but Sebastian had somehow wiped away all the overwhelming feelings of anger, insecurity, of not being good enough, of being _broken_ with his mere presence, and a forehead kiss. A forehead kiss, light as a feather, that had banished all sense of anything other than him, how soft his lips were, how intoxicating his smell was, how _good_ it felt, how the air was charged and electricity seemed to pulse between them. _Stop,_ she mentally ordered herself in an attempt to steer her thoughts away from things she shouldn’t be thinking about. At some point between running out of her dad’s office and racing to the Old Mill, she had pulled out the pin that held her hair away from her face, and it now cascaded down her shoulders in lose waves. And then, she remembers how Sebastian had tucked a curl behind her ear, how it had felt as his hands had brushed against her ear, his touch sending shivers down her spine. _Stop it! Snap out of it!_ she yelled mentally, her feet kicking roughly at the dirt as she picked up pace, racing to the school. The sun was almost setting, and she needed to get Simu-Hope and go to Mystic Falls Cemetery as soon as possible. It was almost dinnertime, so she decided to go join everyone for dinner.

“Elizabeth!” Her dad’s voice stopped her dead in her tracks as she rushed down the hall, adjusting her uniform.

“Dad?” she exclaimed, though it sounded more like a question. “What do you want?”

“Just to see if you were alright,” he answered simply. “Look, Elizabeth, I understand you are upset, but I just want to help you and protect you,” he told her, and she felt a pang of guilt for her earlier outburst. “This plan isn’t going to work, it’s-” she cut him off, her anger flaring.

“You don’t know that!” she snapped, crossing her arms. “You don’t know the plan isn’t going to work. Sebastian already went to see Josie, and I’m taking Simu-Hope to the Malivore pit,” she informed him.

“Elizabeth, that’s not a good idea. Look, you just had an episode, you need to rest and let your mind work through it-”

“My mind’s worked through it. I’m fine. I can do this, the plan is fine!” she snapped, glaring at him. They’d drawn a small audience, and she turned her glare on them. “What the hell are you all staring at? Shoo!” she yelled, and they rushed off. She turned to fix her glare on her father once more.

“Look, Lizzie, I just want to help you work through this. Your plan isn’t good, it won’t work, but I can help you come up with-” she cut him off again, her voice icy this time.

“Stop saying my plan isn’t going to work! You don’t know that! It’s a good plan, dad, but you just can’t accept the fact that I can come up with good plans just like Hope. Just like Josie!” she hissed, glaring at him. “I’m not- I’m not just broken, Crazy Lizzie. And, I’m not a bad witch,” she added, her tone softer this time.

“I never said that, sweetheart,” her dad said, but she flinched at his tone.

“You just- you just don’t get it. You know what? Just leave me alone!” she yelled and ran off to the dorms, no longer feeling hungry.

She found Simu-Hope in Landon and Raf’s room where she’d left her, and she smiled.

“Hey, Lizzie,” Simu-Hope greeted her, smiling at her.

“Hey,” she mumbles. “So, now it’s time for your part in the plan. You ready to go?” Her best friend’s simu-version nodded.

“Of course. I am special, so I have to save everybody, and I am willing to sacrifice myself for the greater good,” she quipped, and Lizzie chuckled. Then, she lifted her hands and touched the barrier of the boundary spell, and slowly started siphoning it off, feeling the magic just seep into her until there was no barrier spell.

“Hey, Lizzie.” She turned to find Landon, Rafael and MG walking towards her, and behind them she spotted Kaleb, Jade and Sebastian. She looked to MG, refusing to meet Sebastian’s gaze.

“Hey, everyone,” she greeted them unenthusiastically. “So, it’s time to complete Phase One of Lizzie’s Badass Plan to Rid the World of Malivore. Or, as I call it, Operation False Hope,” she smirked, but the rest of the Super Squad didn’t seem as enthused. “Let’s go, Simu-Hope,” she barked, and Simu-Hope stepped out of the room. Immediately, MG and Kaleb grabbed her, and pinned her against a wall. But, before Lizzie opened her mouth with a thinly veiled threat on the tip of her tongue, Sebastian vamp-sped to Simu-Hope, his hand latching around her throat as he pinned her to the wall.

“I suggest you stick to Elizabeth, Simu-Hope,” he hissed, and the rest of them simply watched him. His face had changed to his vampire face, and he looked decidedly scary. “Because, if I find out you escaped, I will find you, and I will kill you, and cut you into pieces which I will then toss into Malivore,” he finally growled.

“Sebastian!” she snapped, and he turned to her, his eyes dark with fury. “That’s enough. I had Alyssa perform a binding spell. She won’t run,” she told him, and slowly walked towards him. She grabbed his hand, and slowly uncurled his fingers from around Simu-Hope’s neck. His shoulders slumped, and he stepped away, and she noticed Jade grab onto him. The former Ripper smiled softly.

“Alyssa also put a boundary spell on your dad’s office, so he won’t interrupt. And, Landon spoke to Hope; so far so good on her end. Looks like we’re all set,” the former Rippper informed her, a mischievous glint in her green eyes.

“Great. Thanks, Jade,” she smiled at her. For the first time since Jade and Wendy had returned from the prison world, Jade and herself were kind of getting along. “Thanks everyone for your help. You guys are the best Super Squad,” she added, turning to the rest of her, her voice slightly thick with emotion.

“Of course,” they murmured in unison. MG pulled away from Simu-Hope to come over to her and rest a hand on her shoulder.

“Malivore is everyone’s problem, we’re all just glad to get rid of him,” he told her, and she smiled. “Alright, everyone, let’s go,” he said, turning to everyone else before going over to grab hold of Simu-Hope. Together, the Super Squad marched to the door of the school before Lizzie grabbed Simu-Hope.

“Be careful,” the others told her as she and Simu-Hope began the trek to the cemetery.

It was dark by the time they arrived, and Lizzie straightened herself, her eyes trained on her surroundings.

“You know,” Simu-Hope drawled, “I always did like you. I always thought you were cool, but I also felt really bad for you. Your mom was gone on those missions, and I knew about your episodes. I know how lonely you must have been, I just- I guess in all my efforts of pushing everyone away, I kinda forgot how to be a decent person. So, I’m sorry,” Simu-Hope told her, and Lizzie’s heart swelled. Even though this wasn’t the real Hope telling her, she knew her best friend shared the sentiments.

“Thanks. And, it’s okay. I forgive you,” she smiled as they walked through the cemetery, towards the crypt.

“Hello, dear sister.” The two of them turned to find Dark Josie standing in front of them, smirking deviously.

“Evil Sister,” she quipped, glaring at her, and her heart began to race. “What do you want?” she snapped, curling her fists.

“Oh, please, no need to get so defensive. It’s not you I want tonight,” Dark Josie said, her gaze drifting to Simu-Hope. “But, don’t worry, you’ll have your turn.” Lizzie gulped. Simu-Hope on the other hand stood frozen in her spot. “Man, the whole vampirism thing must really be affecting you. Not even a sassy remark?” Dark Josie quipped.

“She’s just getting ready to kick your ass!” Lizzie snapped, narrowing her eyes. Dark Josie laughed, a shrill laugh, and Lizzie flinched.

“Hey, Jo,” Simu-Hope smiled sweetly, and Lizzie snuck a quick glance at her. “Dissapointed?” she retorted in a very Hope-like way. Considering she was Hope’s subconscious, Lizzie wasn’t surprised.

“On the contrary. I’m quite happy to see you, Hope,” Dark Josie smirked. “Though, I can’t say the same about you, Selfish Sissy, but guess you two come in a package now,” Dark Josie grinned mischievously before raising her hand. Suddenly, both her and Simu-Hope were floating in the air before they were rushing through the air towards the crypt. Lizzie let out a scream, and Simu-Hope screamed too. Then, they dropped, and Lizzie hit the stone interior of the crypt, catching herself. She stood, and moved, but was stopped by an invisible wall.

“What the hell?” she demanded. Dark Josie merely rolled her eyes. Simu-Hope was still floating in the air, but Dark Josie must have put a silencing spell on her because she wasn’t saying anything.

“Oh, I put a boundary spell on you,” Dark Josie barely spared her a glance. “And, she can’t hear you and can’t see you. I found a grimoire that belonged to the Bennett Coven, and damn. What they were teaching at school was crap,” her sister shrugged as she floated Simu-Hope through the air. To keep up the pretense that it was truly Hope, Lizzie screamed, but no one heard her.

Dark Josie jerked her hand, and Simu-Hope began tumbling through the air, a horrified look on her face.

There was a gurgling sound and a plop, and then Simu-Hope was gone. Lizzie watched as the pit was closed, still gurgling like a cauldron. She stepped forward, and noticed the barrier spell was gone.

“What the hell? You-” she yelled, but her sister’s alter ego cut her off.

“Till we meet again, Selfish Sissy,” Dark Josie chirped, her lips twisting into a sort of sickly yet delighted smile. And then, a force pulled her out of the crypt and threw her backwards. A terrified shriek escaped her mouth as she tumbled through the air before she hit something with a thud. Strong arms wrapped around her, and she opened her arms to find she was staring at someone’s shirt, her head cradled in that someone’s arm.

“Elizabeth,” a voice breathed out, and immediately she realized who it belonged to. She looked up to find a pair of deep, blue-green eyes staring at her, and relief swept through her.

“Sebastian,” she breathed out, her hands moving to rest on his shoulders as he continued to hold her, cradling her in his arms, his eyes staring deeply into hers. For a moment, neither of them said anything, and Lizzie thought they must look very dramatic, like something out of a fairytale. Finally, Lizzie spoke up, and broke the spell. “Put me down,” she ordered shakily, and Sebastian complied, setting her down gently. She reached for him to steady herself, and took several deep breaths before stepping away from him, needing breathe, feeling intoxicated by the smell of him.

“Are you alright?” Sebastian finally asked, his eyes scanning her, as if looking for any injuries, any indication she wasn’t okay.

“I’m fine, don’t worry. Everything’s fine. Josie threw Fake Hope into the Malivore pit and then threw me out,” she explained, though he didn’t look up yet, still scanning her. Finally, he lifted his gaze to meet hers, and his shoulders slumped slightly in relief, as if he’d needed to confirm she hadn’t suffered any injuries for himself. “The plan worked,” she added, a small, self-satisfied smirk tugging at the corner of her lips.

“That’s good, I’m glad. It was a brilliant plan, Elizabeth,” he replied, a proud look in his eyes, and her stomach tightened slightly.

“What were you doing here anyways?” she snapped, crossing her arms. It was now clear to her they were in some sort of clearing by the river, and other than their heavy breathing the only other sound was the running river. The moon shone above them, a half moon casting a soft light. There was a pregnant pause as Sebastian seemed to be thinking how to respond, and she could practically see his thoughts spinning.

“I came to… check on you,” he finally said, still looking steadily at her. “To make sure you were… safe,” he added.

“Well, I’m fine. Could’ve managed without you,” she said quickly, though even as she said it, she knew it wasn’t entirely true.

“Of course,” he said, amused. She scoffed. “You know, you could just thank me,” he quipped, stepping closer to her.

“For?”

“Catching you. If I hadn’t been there, you would have either fallen in the river or in the trees and gotten hurt,” he said matter-of-factly. Lizzie just rolled her eyes, even though she knew his words were true.

“Please,” she scoffed again. “I was fine,” she informed him, rolling her eyes.

“Uh uh,” he muttered, rolling his eyes. They were standing much closer now, and she was almost leaning against the tree behind her, and their gazes were locked with each other. She could almost feel his breath fanning her face, and her own breath hitched in her throat.

“Oh, please,” she scoffed again, rolling her eyes. “I was fine by myself. What, you think you’re my knight in shining-” she snapped, and her voice caught in her throat for a second as Sebastian’s face seemed to be closer to her, his nose almost brushing against hers, “-whatever,” she finished. She lifted her hands to push him away, except her fingers brushed his arms, causing an electric current to shock her. She flinched, but only hit the bark, and Sebastian’s hands moved to hover over her waist. He seemed to be waiting for something as he stood, barely an inch between them, his eyes dark with lust. Her heart was beating fast in her chest, and she continued to stare in his eyes, her breath caught in her throat once more as the moon shone, casting a glow over his face, making him look otherworldly, ethereal almost, and she was entirely transfigured by him. The air between them was charged, and Lizzie knew that if she really wanted to, he would kiss her. All she had to do was ask. The rational part of her reminded her of her boyfriend, of how sorry he’d been at the falls, of how they’d made up then had glorious make up sex, but the irrational part of her, the part of her that wanted to feel good, and loved, and seen, craved Sebastian.

“Elizabeth?” the vampire mumbled quietly, so quietly she had to strain her ears to hear him.

“Don’t…” she breathed out, and bit her lips, “don’t kiss me,” she finished though she meant quite the contrary.

“I won’t,” he muttered, yet he did not move. “As much as I want to,” he whispered headily, and she gasped quietly.

“You do?” her eyes widened innocently, though she knew he did. He merely hummed in response, and it seemed he was even closer to her than before, but he still he didn’t touch her.

“Why did you come here?” she wondered, her voice a breathless whisper, her gaze locked with his.

“I came for you, Elizabeth,” he muttered.

“But why?” she pressed.

“Because…” he pauses, and his voice seemed to have caught in his throat. They both gulped. “Because I care about you,” he finally said, and her eyes fluttered closed as she let out a breath she’d been holding. “I care about you, Elizabeth,” he said with conviction in his voice. Silence descended between them, and Lizzie was very aware of the bark against her back, of Sebastian hovering over her, just short of touching her, of his breath on her face, of his nose almost brushing against hers. She knew that if she let him, he would touch her, and kiss her, and that he wanted to. And, she did, too. This made her a horrible person; she was contemplating cheating on Ethan, but Lizzie didn’t care. She didn’t care because she wanted to feel good, because Sebastian expected nothing, because Sebastian wanted her, just her, and she was enough for him. And, she craved that more than anything; to be enough, to be wanted.

“Why?” she demanded again, her voice a hoarse whisper, the only sound in the stillness of the night aside from their heavy breathing and the river. Sebastian seemed to ponder this for several long seconds, his eyebrows knitting together, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Why?” she repeated.

“For I fancy you, Elizabeth,” he muttered, and once again her breath hitched in her throat.

“Sebastian,” she mumbled, and gave a small, imperceptible nod.

Finally, Sebastian moved his hands to cup her cheeks, and Lizzie’s own hands wound around his neck. And then, he was kissing her. His lips were soft and yielding, and she kissed him back eagerly, finally giving in. She deepened the kiss and pulled him closer, and his hands drifted to the back of her neck, pulling out the butterfly pin that kept her hair together, and her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. His hands sunk in her hair as she slipped her tongue into his mouth, kissing him deeply, gasping and moaning, pulling him closer as if she were drowning and he was the only thing keeping safe. Sebastian kissed her back just as deeply, just as roughly, just as hungrily as if he were starving and she was the only thing providing nourishment. His hands cradled her head, his fingers tangled in her blonde tresses as her teeth grazed his lower lip. They continued to kiss, tongues tangled together as Sebastian’s hands drifted along her arms, down to her waist, and she wrapped her legs around his waist, lifting herself up by hoisting herself onto his shoulders. His fingers held her butt, steadying her. All sense had left her, the only thing she felt was Sebastian, and her body sang _Sebastian, Sebastian, Sebastian_. They pulled away roughly, both of them gasping and panting for air, foreheads resting against each other, noses brushing. He held her with one hand, and lifted the other to cup the back of her neck as she rested her palms against his chest.

“We should…” he trailed off.

“We should stop,” she said, her words hoarse and barely audible. “Sebastian,” she murmured against his lips.

“Elizabeth,” he drawled breathlessly.

“Sebastian,” she muttered again, “Sebastian. We should stop… this- I- I can’t,” she finally said, having regained rational thought. She pushed him away and fell unceremoniously against the tree. He reached to steady her, but she pulled away. She couldn’t touch him, his touch seemed to affect her too much. “I have a boyfriend,” she sighed, running her hands through her tousled waves. Sebastian merely shrugged.

“You didn’t seem to mind that when action was required,” he quipped, smirking smugly. There was a pregnant pause between them as Lizzie tried to straighten herself. Her lips were probably swollen from all the kissing, and her hair was likely a mess. Sebastian bent down to pick something up before handing it to her. It was her butterfly hair pin.

“Thanks,” she muttered, and swept her hair up in a bun once again, inserting the pin through it to keep it together. A few stray curls escaped it.

“You’re probably right. You have a boyfriend. And, yet I fancy you and I care about you, and I can’t help it. I crave you, Elizabeth,” he whispered, and a shiver went down her back.

“I- so do I. I’m extremely attracted to you,” she confessed, and paused. “But, I can’t- this can’t happen again,” she told him decisively.

“Alright,” he nodded, frowning, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Thank you for being there for me today,” she paused, and met his gaze, “with my episode earlier. And, right now. Thank you.” Sebastian nodded.

“I’ll always be there for you,” he said, and reached to tuck a stray curl behind her ear. “Shall we head back to the school?” he asked as his fingers lingered on her skin, and she continued to gaze deeply into his blue-green eyes.

“Yeah, we should,” she agreed. “We should head back.”

Slowly, they began to make their way back, neither of them saying anything, their hands almost brushing though neither of them acted on the fact.


	9. Phase Two: Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hope as Lizzie and Ethan's road trip doesn't go exactly as planned and ends on a tragic notes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy this chapter which will fill in on what's going on with Hope pretending to be Lizzie and Ethan.   
> *Note, the part in italics is a flashback.

As Hope’s eyes fluttered open, she felt pain, unbearable pain everywhere. Somehow it felt worse than a werewolf transformation, which _was_ the worst pain she’d ever experienced, hundreds of bones breaking all at once. Finally, the tribrid opened her eyes to find she was laying on the cold, wet road, and she felt something warm trickling down the side of her face. It smelt like blood. Slowly, the tribrid staggered to her feet and her eyes drifted over her surroundings as memories started flooding back. _The winding road. The cheesy country music. Her, pretending to be Lizzie, and making a joke. Then, something in the middle of the road, and Ethan had swerved, and Hope had screamed as she was hurtled through the windshield._ Hope groaned as she stepped shakily, the glass crunching underneath her boots. Hope noticed that she was still in Lizzie’s body, but her own healing abilities were slowly kicking in. Dr. Saltzman’s SUV that they had travelled had rolled, but she could see their things in the back. Ethan laughingflashed back in her mind, and she gasped as she realized she hadn’t yet accounted for him.

“Ethan?” she called, her eyes scanning the area around her. “Ethan!” she screamed, her stomach tightening with worry. She heard a faint heartbeat, and immediately ran over, and found Ethan lying limply on the side of the road, covered in gashes, his clothes torn, his knee bent at an awkward angle. “Oh my God! Ethan” she gasped, horrified, and crouched beside him, her fingers trembling as she searched for a pulse. It was faint, barely there, and she knew he would be dead soon. Tears pooled in her eyes as she cupped his face. “Oh God,” she half-sobbed, and reached with her other hand for his, squeezing it slightly, but it was limp. She couldn’t believe what had happened. She had taken Ethan out to keep him safe, had promised Lizzie she would keep him safe, and no sooner had they left he’d been attacked, and now they’d gotten into an accident and Ethan was likely dead. _Oh, crap! The attack,_ she screamed internally as realization dawned on her. “Shit!”

* * *

_“You kids on a road trip?” the cashier at the gas station asked as Hope approached it. They’d been driving for almost a day, and she was exhausted. Ethan had filled the tank and was now picking up some snacks. Hope smiled charmingly, “something like that.” The man grunted as he scanned her things._

_“I’m ready,” Ethan approached from behind, smiling fondly at her before setting down a bunch of snacks and a bottle of water on the counter. “You good?”_

_“Uh, yeah,” she murmured nervously. “Just need to go to the bathroom,” she added more quietly._

_“Alright, why don’t you go ahead, I’ll get the snacks,” he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. She smiled, and leaned into him._

_“You kids are cute. Bathroom is left towards the back. There’s a sign,” he told her, smiling at both of them._

_“Thank you,” she grinned, and left to the bathroom._

_After taking care of herself, she pulled out her phone and dialed Landon._

_“Hope?” her boyfriend’s warm voice greeted her, and she smiled, tears pooling in her eyes._

_“Landon,” she replied warmly._

_“Uh, hey. Hey.”_

_“Hi,” she said softly._

_“You okay?”_

_“Yeah,” she muttered. “I just- it’s so nice to hear your voice, Landon,” she added, and he let out a deep breath._

_“It’s nice to hear yours, too. I miss you,” he said softly. Hope breathed out shakily, and sniffled slightly._

_“I miss you, too, Landon. God, I miss you and it’s only been… not even a day,” she sighed._

_“How’s, uh, how’s Ethan?” he asked nervously._

_“He’s fine. We’re fine, don’t worry,” she said quickly, and breathed out a sigh._

_“Right. So, he still thinks you’re Lizzie?”_

_“Yeah, that’s going well,” she shrugged, though he couldn’t see her. There was a pregnant pause, and she immediately realized how that might sound. “Landon!” she exclaimed._

_“What?”_

_“You know I love you, right? That I’ll always love you?”_

_“Mm,” he hummed in response. “And, I’ll always love you, Hope Mikaelson.”_

_“Well, then, Landon Kirby, you have no reason to be jealous. Just because I’m pretending to be Lizzie and with Ethan, doesn’t mean you don’t matter to me. I love you, Landon Kirby. Don’t worry, okay?”_

_“Okay, I trust you,” he said softly, and Hope smiled even though he couldn’t see her. “I love you.”_

_“I love you, too,” she sighed. “Well, anyways, I have to go. But, I’ll text you, okay?”_

_“Yeah, yeah sure. You keep being Wonder Woman,” he chuckled, and she snorted._

_“Uh, you know, not really feeling like Wonder Woman on a road trip, but you know we all have our parts to play. Please, don’t- don’t do anything stupid, okay?”_

_“Of course not!” he exclaimed seriously, and she rolled her eyes even though he couldn’t see her. “I promise, I’ll take care. But, I need you to do the same, okay?”_

_“Yeah,” she agreed. “I’ll be careful, I promise. Bye.”_

_“Bye,” he said before hanging up._

_After making a quick call to check on Sebastian, Hope returned to the car, and her eyes widened upon seeing Ethan slumped next to the driver’s door._

_“Oh my God, Ethan!” she exclaimed, crouching beside him. “Ethan, are you okay?” she asked, feeling for his pulse. Ethan groaned._

_“Bunch of idiots jumped me,” he muttered. “Ow,” he groaned again as she prodded at his torso._

_“Sorry, sorry,” she muttered apologetically. “Come on, we have to get you out of here,” she added, and stood up, hoisting him up along with her. She pushed him into the truck, and got into the driver’s side._

_“Sorry, Lizzie, now we have to go to the hospital,” he sighed, and groaned._

_“It’s going to be fine, don’t worry,” she said, and began to drive._

_Just short of another exit, she parked on the side of the freeway. Ethan’s head was leaning against the door, and he seemed pretty out of it. She pulled the bracelet off while simultaneously unbuckling her seatbelt._

_“What the-” Ethan began, but she didn’t let him._

_“Shh, Ethan. It’s okay,” she said slowly, staring deeply into his eyes, her own pupils dilating. “Don’t scream, and don’t be scared. I’m going to heal you, then we’re going to get back on the road. Okay?” He nodded, and relaxed. Hope brought her wrist to her lips and bit into it quickly before bringing it up to Ethan’s mouth, letting him have enough to heal. Once he was all healed, she pulled away, and wiped the blood off with a tissue. “Okay, now forget this ever happened. We stopped by the gas station and bought snacks, and that’s all. Now, wait for me here, and I’ll be right back,” she compelled, and he nodded. She got out, and put the bracelet back on. When she returned, Ethan grinned._

_“Hey, babe. Ready to go?”_

_“Yup,” she agreed, popping the ‘p’ and climbed into the driver’s seat. At some point they’d switched._

* * *

Hope heard Ethan’s heartbeat slow until there was no sound, and she dropped her head, letting out a deep shuddery breath. She needed to get them both out of there, and get rid of any evidence. She got up, and removed the bracelet, and felt herself return to her own body. Using vampire speed, she ran over to the overturned SUV, and crouched so she could reach inside. Carefully, she rummaged around and grabbed the duffel bag where all of Lizzie’s clothes were. She strapped it over her shoulder, then exited the truck.

“ _Incendia_ ,” she hissed, setting the wrecked SUV on fire to get rid of the evidence. [She’d reach into her Mikaelson fortune and buy Dr. Saltzman another truck, and an apology]. Then, she vamp-sped back to Ethan, and lifted him into her arms using her vampire strength before starting to run.

Hope wasn’t sure quite how long she ran, but eventually she stopped in front of a motel. She set the human on his feet, and slung his arm over her shoulder, pretending he was her drunk boyfriend.

“Miss!” the concierge at the hotel exclaimed upon seeing her, covered in dried blood, her hair matted, and a limp and bloody guy slung over her shoulder. “Miss, you should go to the hospital,” she repeated, reaching for her phone.

“Oh, no, that won’t be necessary,” Hope said sweetly. “My boyfriend and I were at a party, and things got a little heated, but he’s just drunk, and we really just need to sleep it off,” she said casually, slowly approaching the desk. “He’s out cold now, but he’ll be fine in the morning,” she said, clapping Ethan lightly. He made no response.

“Sweetie, your boyfriend looks like crap,” the woman said seriously. “You need to take him to a hospital, this isn’t the kind of drunk he can just sleep off. I can call an ambulance for you, or we can drive you to the hospital,” the woman added kindly.

“That won’t be necessary,” Hope said, this time using compulsion, her pupils dilating as she stared into the woman’s eyes. “Please give us a room and don’t disturb us. Don’t call the police, or 9-1-1. We’ll be fine,” she smiled, though it was more of a sneer.

The woman’s head bobbed as she nodded, “right away, Miss…?”

“Marshall. Hope Marshall,” she smiled graciously.

“Of course. Room 213,” the woman – Agatha – said as she slid a pair of keys towards her. “Enjoy your stay!” she smiled.

“Thank you,” Hope smiled before lifting Ethan slightly and walking towards the elevator.

The room was on the second floor, and she found it easily. Hope dumped Ethan onto the double bed, and tossed the duffel bag on the floor. She fished around for her phone, and pulled it out, relieved it had survived. She immediately dialed Lizzie, and put the phone to her ear, waiting for her best friend to pick up. Except, Lizzie didn’t, not even on the last ring, and Hope sighed, running a hand through her hair. She had to call _someone_ , had to reach Lizzie _somehow_. It occurred to her to call the one person – aside from Landon – who would pick up. Sebastian.

He picked up on the third ring. “Hope? Is everything alright?” he asked in a rush, and she could hear him breathing heavily on the other end. She let out a deep, shaky breath. “Hope?” he repeated, worry coating his voice.

“I- it’s Ethan. I think I might have turned him into a vampire, I- there was- there was an accident. And, Ethan- he didn’t make it. Earlier, he got attacked aand, I didn’t- I couldn’t afford wasting time on a hospital, so- he died with vampire blood in his system I-” she said in a rush, the words jumbled together, and she felt

“Hope,” Sebastian said, cutting her off.

“Yeah?”

“Tell me everything now, and please speak slowly. Are you okay?”

“Yes.”

“What happened to Ethan? Is he dead?”

“Well, yes,” she said, keeping her tone even, though she could hear the hysterical edge. “But he died with my blood in his system-”

“So, he’s going to become a vampire,” Sebastian said, his own tone neutral.

“Yeah,” she sighed.

“Okay. Now, start from the beginning,” he instructed, and she relayed the past almost seven hours to him, her voice calm and even. “Okay,” he said once she was finished. “I’m going to go find Elizabeth, and then we’ll come get you, alright?”

“Yeah,” she breathed out a sigh.

“Good,” he said. She heard shuffling and stumbling on the other end, then a door opening and slamming shut. “Alright, I’ll see you soon. Okay?”

“Yeah,” she nodded, though he couldn’t see her. There was silence on the other end, and she thought he’d hung up, but he didn’t. “Sebastian?” she said in a hoarse whisper.

“Yeah?”

“Thank you,” she muttered. Then, she hung up. She checked on Ethan, who was still unconscious, so she decided to take a shower.

* * *

After getting out of the shower, she quickly pulled on a lose t-shirt, a soft navy cardigan and a pair of dark blue leggings with white stars on them, obviously Lizzie’s, but at this point she didn’t care. Her hair was still wet, small droplets dripping onto the t-shirt, but Hope didn’t care. She heard rustling and groaning, and she looked into the bedroom to find Ethan slowly stirring, his eyes opening slowly.

He gasped as his eyes flew open, and he sat up quickly still wearing the bloody and torn t-shirt. His eyes scanned the room, and he scrunched his face as she stepped inside.

“So… loud… Shit, why is everything so loud?” he groaned, contorting his face in pain. Hope stepped closer.

“Hey,” she whispered quickly. “It- it’s going to be okay, you’ll be okay,” she said softly, though her own anxiety was obvious. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to comfort him, or calm him down, or both, but she wasn’t succeeding.

“Hope, what the hell?” Ethan yelled, then shut his eyes tightly, the sound of his own voice painfully loud. “Fuck,” he gasped.

The tribrid approached the bed slowly, though her heart was hammering in her chest.

“Why the fuck do I hear a heartbeat- no, two? What the fuck is happening?” he demanded aggressively, and Hope felt tears pool in her eyes.

“It’s okay, just- just take deep breaths, I’ll explain everything,” she said quickly, and instinctively reached for him, but he flinched.

“And, what the fuck are you doing here? Where- where is Lizzie?” he demanded.

He was so confused, and was asking so many questions, and Hope wasn’t even sure she could, or should for that matter, answer them. So, she just raised her hand, “ _ad somnum_!” she muttered, knocking Ethna unconscious.

With Ethan asleep, Hope turned to the small living room and sat down in one of the armchairs, and grabbed her phone which had escaped, surprisingly, unharmed. Her finger hovered over Landon’s name. Finally, she clicked on it and brought the phone to her ear.

“Hope!” Landon exclaimed, and her shoulders slumped in relief, her chin dropping, and she felt tears prickle at her eyes.

“Landon,” she practically sobbed.

“Hope?” His voice was softer, and he sounded worried. At first she didn’t say anything, her thoughts spinning, emotions all over the place, and a stray tear slid down her cheek. She sniffled quietly. “Hey, you okay?” Landon broke the silence, concern clear in his voice.

“Yeah…” she sighed, and reached to wipe away the tears that had fallen. “I- I’m fine, I’m fine. I mean, I’m pretty much indestructible, so…” she trailed off, chuckling bitterly, and sniffled.

“Hope, what is going on, you’re worrying me,” Landon said on the other end, and Hope’s heart swelled, though she said nothing.

“It’s Ethan,” she finally said, after gathering herself. “I tried- I was trying to help, to make sure we weren’t wasting time, and now-” she broke off with a barely-contained sob.

“Hope.” Landon’s voice, soft and reassuring, was like an anchor, and she clung to it as she tried to regain control of her breathing and calm down her sobs. “What happened?” he asked, a slight edge in his voice. “Please- just tell me, baby. It’s going to be okay, everything will be okay, you just have to tell me,” he added gently.

“We stopped at this gas station, and Ethan was jumped while I was in the bathroom,” she said slowly, the guilt was obvious in her voice. “I didn’t- I didn’t want to waste any time by going to the hospital- I couldn’t waste any time, so I fed him some of my blood. And, now-” she cut herself off with a sob, and rubbed the sleeve of her cardigan under her eyes and nose, wiping away the snot and tears.

“Oh, Hope,” Landon said softly, understanding clear in his voice. There was a pregnant pause as she cried softly while Landon stayed silent on the other end.

“And, now Ethan is dead,” she finally said before starting sob again, her chest feeling like it was on fire, and she gasped for air, sniffling.

“Shh, Hope, shh, it’s okay… it’s going to be okay, Hope,” Landon said softly on the other line as the tribrid continued to cry, clinging desperately to his reassuring voice. Finally, she calmed down and stopped crying, and sniffled, wiping away the tears with the sleeve of her cardigan.

“And, he’s going to become a vampire, and it’s my fault,” she whimpered brokenly. “I mean, what if- no one deserves to become a vampire without wanting it, and I just did this to my best friend’s boyfriend, I-” she cut herself off with quiet sob.

“Shh, Hope, it’s okay,” Landon said softly, but Hope didn’t say anything, though she had calmed down and merely whimpered. “Hey, hey, it’s going to be okay. Besides, I doubt lots of vampires choose to become vampires, so it’s not really your fault, okay? You did what you had to do. It’s not your fault this happened.” Still, she didn’t say anything, though Landon’s words and gentle tone warmed her heart. “It’s not your fault, okay? Do you hear me?”

“Mhm,” she mumbled, though she didn’t sound very convinced.

“Hope Andrea Mikaelson, you are the best person I know, the kindest person I know, and what happened was not your fault. Okay? It wasn’t your fault,” he said, his voice filled with conviction.

“Okay,” she mumbled. Silence descended between them, and Hope took a deep, shuddery breath. “Thanks, Landon,” she said softly.

“Of course,” he replied quickly. “What are boyfriends for?” he said softly, chuckling, and she let out a small laugh.

“Anyways,” she sighed, running a hand through her still wet hair. “I couldn’t get through to Lizzie, so I called Sebastian. He said they’ll be here soon, so… I don’t know, I guess Lizzie and Ethan will figure it out,” she sighed heavily.

“That sounds like… a good idea,” Landon agreed, and Hope could practically picture him scratching the back of his head nervously.

“What happened?” she asked quickly, sensing there was something going on.

“Oh, nothing… really…” her boyfriend trailed off, and Hope could practically see him shrug.

“Landon?” she prodded.

“Uh, it’s- it’s nothing. I don’t know,” he sighed.

“It’s nothing, or you don’t know?” She could practically see him roll his eyes.

Landon hesitated. “I don’t know,” he finally said. “But, it’s fine, you know? I mean the plan worked – mostly – so everything’s fine. Things are just a bit awkward,” he sighed.

“Oh- kay,” she nodded though he couldn’t see her. There was another pregnant pause, but it wasn’t uncomfortable, and Hope could hear Landon’s heavy breathing on the other end. It reassured her. “I miss you,” she sighed. “God, I miss you so much,” she repeated, her voice thick with emotion.

“I miss you too,” Landon said. “I love you, Hope Mikaelson.”

“I love you, too, Landon Kirby. So much.”

“Alright, well, I gotta go, Raf needs me for something. But, I’ll see you soon?”

“Yeah. See you,” she agreed, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“Okay.”

“Landon?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you. For everything,” she said softly.

“No problem. Like I said, what are boyfriends for?” She laughed softly, and he laughed too, and then she ended the call.

With a sigh, she stood up and walked back to the bedroom.

“ _Surgere_ ,” she whispered. Ethan’s eyes flew open and he shot up with a gasp.

“What the-” he almost-screamed, but she cut him off.

“ _Silencio_ ,” she muttered, and Ethan squirmed, unable to speak. “Ethan, listen to me,” she said calmly, sitting down on the bed next to him and taking his hands in hers. “I know you’re confused, and scared, but everything is going to be okay. I promise I will explain everything to you, okay?” He nodded. “And, Lizzie is on her way, and she’ll be here soon,” she added, and he relaxed, his eyes filled with warmth. “Now, I’m going to undo the spell, but if you start to scream, I’ll put it again, okay?” He nodded. She waved her hand, and the spell was released.

“H- Hope?”

“Yeah?”

“Wh- what are you?” he stuttered, still scared.

“I’m a witch, and a werewolf, and a vampire. A hybrid of three different creatures. Tribrid,” she told him, smiling softly, trying to put him at ease.

“Uh, th- that stuff real?” he asked, stumbling over his words, his voice shaking.

“Yeah, it’s real,” she nodded.

“And Lizzie? Is she a- aa tribrid, too?”

“No. Lizzie is a witch. A siphoner witch, but she’ll explain that when she gets here,” she informed him. [She knew that Lizzie’s siphoner status was a bit of a sore spot for her, and for Josie, and she wasn’t going to tell Ethan all about the Gemini Coven tragic craziness].

“Right. Okay,” he sighed.

“Why don’t I start from the end?” she asked softly. Ethan nodded again. “Actually, might be better if I show you,” she added, reaching for his head.

“Wh- what do you mean?” he asked, shaking his head, and squirmed slightly.

“Relax,” she said slowly. “And, open your mind to me. I can enter your mind and show you memories that will explain all of this,” she explained. Ethan nodded, and let out a deep breath, closing his eyes. Hope rested her hand on the back of his head, and closed her eyes, too and conjured up her memories as she began telling him about witches, vampires and werewolves. About the Hollow (leaving out her latest resurrection) and the werewolf curse. About Silas, Quetsiah and Amara and the Other Side. She told him of the Original family, about her father’s curse, about Henrik dying and Mikael and Esther turning their children into vampires. She told him about herself. Then, she told him about Mystic Falls and its supernatural history. And, finally she told him about the school.


	10. Bittersweet Reunions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding out about Ethan, Lizzie and Sebastian race to meet Ethan and Hope to bring them home. But, Ethan and Lizzie's reunion might not be as happy as Lizzie had expected.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time, no update! Hope you like this one!

Once Hope hung up, Sebastian shoved the device in his pocket and vamp-sped to Elizabeth’s room. He didn’t bother knocking, and found Elizabeth and Milton’s in Elizabeth’s bed, eating something. Elizabeth was leaning her head on Milton’s shoulder, laughing at something the vampire said. Sebastian squirmed at the sight, though he knew Elizabeth wasn’t interested in the vampire; this only reminded him of Elizabeth’s actual boyfriend, which reminded him of his call with Hope.

“Sebastian? What are you doin’ here?” Milton asked, sitting up. Elizabeth’s face fell, and she stood up as well, though she averted her gaze, refusing to look at him.

“I need to speak to Elizabeth immediately,” he said calmly, though there was a hint of urgency in his voice. Elizabeth’s gaze flickered to Milton’s before she finally looked, well, not at him, but in his general direction.

Milton nodded, “alright. Well, I’ll leave you to it. See you later, Lizzie.” The younger vampire squeezed her shoulder lightly before he left the room, nodding at him. The door shut behind Milton, and somehow it felt like the air had been sucked out of the room, the atmosphere charged.

“Well?” Elizabeth demanded, crossing her arms over her chest, and still not quite looking at him. Sebastian inhaled and exhaled, his head bowed. “I told you,” she sighed, shaking her head, “the kiss was a mistake. It didn’t mean anything.”

Sebastian felt like the breath had been knocked out of him, and his heart broke as her words registered. He took a deep breath, and briefly closed his eyes, trying to steady himself. Eventually he opened them, and looked at Elizabeth.

“That is not the reason I’m here, Elizabeth,” he said, deciding to ignore her comment altogether.

“Oh,” she finally looked up, and met his gaze, and Sebastian’s breath hitched in his throat as he stared deeply into her blue eyes.

“It’s, uh, it’s Hope. Actually, she called you earlier, but when you didn’t pick up, she called me I suppose,” he began slowly.

“Hope? Is she okay? Is Ethan-?” the blonde gasped, clearly worried.

“Hope is… alright. I- it’s Ethan, Elizabeth. He’s transitioning into a vampire,” he said slowly, and Elizabeth only gaped at him.

“A vampire in transition? What are you saying? How in God’s name is my boyfriend a vampire in transition?” she demanded, her eyes wide. “What the hell happened?” she continued, her words coming out in a jumbled rush, and he could see her shaking. Sebastian reached for her then, resting one hand on her shoulder, cupping her cheek with his other one, and Elizabeth’s gaze flew to his, and he could see the fear in her eyes.

“Elizabeth, please,” he pleaded, his own voice shaking. “Listen to me, please. I will explain everything to you, I promise. We just need to get going, alright? We need to go meet Hope and Ethan, okay?” She nodded, her eyes filled with tears, her lower lip trembling. “Grab… the essentials,” he told her, pausing to search for the right modern-world word. “I shall meet you in front of your car,” he added before leaving her room and rushing to his.

* * *

After Sebastian had finished telling her what Hope had told him, about what had happened to Ethan, they fell into silence, and Lizzie exhaled slowly as her eyes focused on the winding road ahead of her while Sebastian stared out his own window, though every few seconds his eyes would flicker back to her, and Lizzie could practically feel his smoldering blue gaze on her.

“Would you seriously stop staring at me?” she snapped between her teeth, still keeping her eye on the road, holding tightly onto the wheel, so tightly her knuckles were practically white.

“I’m sorry?” the vampire glanced over at her, and for a second, their eyes met, but Lizzie returned her gaze to the road ahead of her.

“Stop staring at me! It’s creepy, and I don’t appreciate it!” she hissed, and pursed her lips. Sebastian let out a throaty chuckle, but coughed when she turned to fix him with a glare.

“There is just you and me in this vehicle, Elizabeth. Who else would I be looking at? There is only so much I can stare at the birds that fly by,” he remarked, rolling his eyes, and Lizzie grumbled.

“W- well, c- do you have to look at me like that?” she stammered as she caught his gaze again, and her heart hammered in her chest, her stomach doing flips as Sebastian continued to gaze into her blue eyes.

“Like what?”

“Like- like you’re seeing me for the first time… like I’m the only thing I see…” she wondered, her voice barely above a whisper as she continued to stare at Sebastian. For a moment, the rest of the world had fallen away, and it was just the two of them, staring at each other, neither of them looking away.

“For I fancy you,” Sebastian finally admitted, and Lizzie exhaled as tense silence settled between them.

“Sebastian…” Lizzie sighed, shutting her eyes briefly, and shook her head. 

“I fancy you, Elizabeth. ‘Tis true. You are the only one I see, the only one who- you are beautiful, and strong, and smart, and you have a big heart. I fancy you,” he told her simply, like it was the most obvious thing, but Lizzie’s heart only beat faster, and she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Haven’t we had this conversation before?” she asked, rolling her eyes in both exasperation and irritation. “You- you can’t! You can’t fancy me or whatever!” she exclaimed, her voice taking a slightly hysterical tone, and she tightened her grip on the steering wheel.

“Why not?”

“B-” she cut herself off, and pursed her lips, swallowing thickly, her stomach twisting painfully as the silence that had descended became more awkward, the atmosphere charged, neither of them looking away. Finally, she did, focusing her gaze once more on the road ahead of her as she spoke, “because I don’t fancy you or whatever! I can’t. I’ve told you this before, Sebastian, I have a boyfriend. His name is Ethan. And, I really _like_ him, like him. So, I don’t fancy you, or whatever Middle Ages term you prefer!” she burst, and finally turned to him at the last part, and his blue-green eyes flashed with hurt at her words, but Lizzie didn’t – couldn’t – care. “And, don’t kiss me again,” she added after a while, looking at the blue-eyed, dark haired vampire pointedly. “Don’t you dare kiss me again,” she repeated, for emphasis. Sebastian nodded, pursing his lips.

“Okay, I won’t,” he mumbled sadly, and looked away. “I won’t kiss you, Elizabeth,” he whispered, and Lizzie looked away, feeling guilty.

The rest of the car drive passed in silence, neither of them saying another word, and Sebastian didn’t even look at her until they stopped in front of the motel Hope had directed them to. Lizzie grabbed her bag from the back, and Sebastian grabbed his silently, and after she locked the car, the two of them walked in.

As they approached the reception desk, Sebastian slid his arm around her shoulders, causing Lizzie to freeze, becoming rigid.

“Don’t,” he muttered, his voice husky and low in her ear. “Just… go with it,” he added, and she smirked, leaning into him easily and plastering on a smile.

They entered the motel, and approached the front desk, where a woman whose nametag read Agatha stood, smiling at them. Lizzie leaned into Sebastian, and he smiled fondly at her. She returned a tense smile before facing Agatha once more.

“Hello, darlin’,” the woman greeted with a thick southern accent, smiling at them both.

“Hi,” Lizzie beamed at her. “We were wondering if you could help us,” she paused, and the woman nodded.

“Sure, hon. You kids on a road trip?” she asked, smiling at them both.

Lizzie beamed and rested her hand on Sebastian back, leaning into him, and he tightened his grip on her.

“Something like that,” she said. “So, uh, could we-” she started to say, but was cut off by Sebastian who leaned closer, and stared deeply into the woman’s eyes, his pupils dilating.

“Why don’t you put us into the room closest to Hope Marshall’s?” he asked, though it didn’t sound like a question. Lizzie had to stop the urge to roll her eyes, but she didn’t say anything.

“Sure, hon,” Agatha smiled. “The room next to 213, room 211 is free,” she said warmly.

“We’ll take it,” Lizzie piped up from next to him.

“Yes, we will,” Sebastian agreed, nodding, using his compulsion again.

“A’right,” Agatha smiled and slid a pair of keys across the reception desk to them.

“Oh, and would you please make all the uh…” he paused, seemingly trying to figure out the right words.

“The mini bar,” she hissed quietly. 

“-the mini bar,” he said, and cleared his throat, “available for free,” he compelled.

“Sure, darlin’,” Agatha said, then turned slightly towards her.

“Your boyfriend is damn fine, sweetheart. You’re a lucky girl,” Agatha added, and winked.

“Thanks,” she smiled, but it was more of a grimace.

“Enjoy your stay,” Agatha said, and Lizzie grabbed the keys before dragging Sebastian towards the elevators.

The room was modest and not too big, with a double bed and a modest-looking couch and coffee table. There was also a small work desk with a TV and a dresser. Lizzie dropped her duffel bag on the floor, and Sebastian dropped his own backpack beside it. Silence settled between them as they stood in the middle of the room, staring at each other and the limited space they were in finally caught up to Lizzie, and she felt like the room was closing in on her because it drew her attention to Sebastian, and now she couldn’t take her eyes off him, couldn’t distract herself with driving, couldn’t pretend that she wasn’t pulled to him by some kind of unexplainable connection, but deep down all she wanted to do was kiss him. _Stop it,_ she mentally scolded herself, and blinked, pulling herself out of her trance only to found Sebastian casually removing his shirt while walking towards the bathroom.

“Um, what are you doing?” she demanded, quenching down her earlier thoughts and masking them with barely concealed irritation.

“I would like to take a shower if it pleases the lady,” he shrugged innocently, a small smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. Lizzie just glared at him, and crossed her arms.

“Enjoy,” she muttered before turning around and grabbing her duffel bag to pull out some clothes, but she couldn’t quite focus as the sound of the shower running could be heard in the room, too.

Seconds later, Sebastian emerged, a towel wrapped around his hips, his hair wet, small droplets dripping on his face and back of his neck. Lizzie couldn’t help but stare, her gaze raking over his perfectly chiseled torso, and she shivered, her cheeks flushing. Sebastian cleared his throat, and her gaze snapped back up to his deep, blue-green eyes. _Damn it, control yourself, Lizzie,_ she scolded herself mentally.

“Elizabeth?” he drawled expectantly, raising his eyebrows at her questioningly.

Lizzie paused and cleared her throat, “why don’t you put some clothes on?” she snapped before grabbing her bag of toiletries and heading towards the bathroom. Just before entering, she turned, her hand still on the doorknob.

“Go see Hope and Ethan once you’re dressed. I’m gonna take a shower, okay?” she said evenly.

Sebastian said nothing, and furrowed his eyebrows, “you alright, Elizabeth?” he asked, concern clear in his voice as he pulled on a Salvatore School sweatshirt.

“I’m great!” she shrugged nonchalantly. “You’re the one who seems to be forgetting the reason we’re here,” she said quickly. When Sebastian didn’t say anything, she added, “we’re here to save my boyfriend and my best friend!”

Sebastian sighed, and furrowed his brows in that adorably confused way of his. “I thought we were just here to take them back to the Salvatore School,” he remarked.

“Fine, then we’re here as backup,” she rolled her eyes. “Still means you have to go make sure they’re okay. Go!” she snapped, huffing in annoyance. Sebastian sighed and put his hands up in defeat.

“As you wish, Elizabeth,” he muttered before grabbing his phone off the bed and leaving the room. Lizzie entered the shower.

* * *

After showering and making herself more presentable, Lizzie exited the bathroom wearing a fluffy white robe, and flopped onto the bed, needing a moment to take a deep breath, but soon fell asleep.

When she came to, she was greeted by Hope, who was lounging on the bed next to her.

“Oh, hey, look who’s awake!” her best friend grinned, and sat up, turning towards her.

“Hello to you too,” the blonde grumbled, and sat up, disoriented, blinking rapidly as she looked around her. The mid-morning sun shone through the windows, and the room was mostly the same it was when she’d fallen asleep, her duffel bag and Sebastian’s backpack tucked against the wall beside the dresser, the only unkempt part was the side of the bed where Hope had been sitting.

“And, here I thought you might be a little happier to see your best friend,” Hope chimed, her expression serious. Lizzie met her gaze, and Hope’s eyes twinkled with glee before she broke into a smile and threw her arms around her. Lizzie stiffened for a second before wrapping her own arms around her best friend, and let out a squeal of delight.

“Oh, of course I’m happy to see you!” she sighed happily, squeezing the tribrid tightly.

“Oh my God, Lizzie! You’re okay!” Hope exclaimed gleefully, squeezing her back tightly, almost too tightly.

“Okay, uh, Mikaelson… uh... losing circulation here-” she managed to choke out before Hope finally released them, and Lizzie realized she was still wearing her bathrobe. “I should probably change,” she mused, standing up. Hope chuckled, and smiled fondly at her.

“Yeah, you probably should,” she agreed, chuckling.

Lizzie quickly pulled on some clothes, and smoothed her hair before going to quickly apply some makeup while Hope made the bed using vampire speed.

“Ready?” the tribrid asked, turning to her.

“Yeah,” Lizzie nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Great. Knock, and Sebastian will open the door,” Hope told her as she pocketed her phone. Lizzie furrowed her eyebrows, confused.

“Where are you going?”

“I just- I just need some air,” Hope sighed. “I’ll see you soon, okay?”

“Uh, yeah… sure,” the siphoner shrugged as the two of them exited the room and parted ways, Hope taking off towards the stairs while Lizzie simply walked to the next room, raised her fist, and knocked.

Sebastian opened the door, and his expression immediately lit up, and gazed at her warmly.

“Hello, Elizabeth,” he greeted her, a half smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Lizzie gave him a pointed look and pushed him aside before walking inside, and making a turn inside the room. Finally, she stopped, and inhaled sharply.

“Ethan,” she breathed, her shoulders slumping in relief as she met his gaze.

Ethan broke into a smile as he stepped towards her, “hey there, Saltzman,” he quipped before opening his arms.

“Ethan,” Lizzie repeated, then rushed into his arms, throwing her arms around his neck. Ethan caught her, and wrapped his own arms around her, squeezing her tightly as he let out a deep, relieved breath, and nuzzled his face into her neck. “Oh, Ethan,” she mumbled breathlessly in his ear, her hands roaming over his back as she pulled him to her, and squeezed him tightly. “God, I missed you,” she whispered in his ears, pressing herself closer to him as he inhaled, his nose brushing against her neck. Ethan let out another deep, shuddering breath, and loosened his grip slightly.

“God, I missed you, too, Saltzman,” he mumbled into her ear before finally pulling away, and their noses brushed against each other.

“Oh, Ethan,” Lizzie mumbled against his lips, and rubbed her nose against his. Ethan smiled fondly at her, his arms gripping her waist loosely as she cupped his cheeks gently, her thumbs rubbing against his cheeks tenderly. And then, she crashed her lips against his, and Ethan deepened the kiss immediately, their lips molding together easily. Lizzie kissed him fervently, almost desperately, her hands sliding to wrap around his neck, pulling him to her while Ethan’s hands roamed her back as he held her. It was a deep sort of kiss, filled with longing and all the emotions of the past few days suddenly coming to the surface, their tongues tangling together, teeth biting and nipping, noses smashed together. Finally, when air became a necessity, Ethan pulled away, although reluctantly, and rested his forehead against hers, their breaths mingling together.

“Hey, you,” he mumbled breathlessly.

“Hi,” she breathed out, panting slightly. A throat clearing, finally made them pull away from each other, and they both turned to find Sebastian looking awkwardly at them, his lips pursed.

“Sorry not sorry for the show,” she quipped, smirking slightly at him, but her smirk immediately fell away when she saw the barely masked hurt in his eyes. But, as soon as that wounded look was there, it was gone, and he was staring at them with a closed, almost blank expression.

“As enjoyable as the show might be for a teenager, I’m a five-hundred-year-old vampire. I don’t like teen drama,” he snapped.

“Oh, sorry, oh ancient one! Suddenly your age is part of this conversation,” she retorted as Ethan slung an arm loosely around her shoulders. Sebastian merely rolled his eyes, but didn’t say anything before marching over to stand by the curtain-covered window, unmoving, still as a statue.

“God, Ethan, I- I’m so glad you’re okay,” the blonde finally said, panting slightly, and leaned her head on his shoulder.

“-ish,” Ethan scrunched his nose, and Lizzie chuckled.

“I- I’m so sorry about what happened, babe,” she muttered softly, her voice filled with regret.

“It’s fine,” he shrugged, scratching the back of his neck. “I’m, uh, like I said, I’m okay… ish.” With a sigh, Ethan went to sit on the bed, and Lizzie joined him, glancing over at Sebastian as she did, but the vampire didn’t even acknowledge her. There was a pregnant pause as they sat there, Sebastian keeping guard by the window, and Lizzie leaned her head on Ethan’s shoulder, sliding her arm around his waist. “So, you’re, uh, you’re a witch, huh?” Ethan mused, turning slightly towards her.

“So Hope gave you the full history lesson, huh?” she retorted. Ethan nodded, chuckling.

“Yeah, she did. But, you didn’t answer my question,” he replied, reaching to take her hand in his, lacing their fingers together.

“Yup, I’m a witch,” she nodded, then paused, and sighed as she tried to figure out whether to tell him everything, wondering whether Hope had told him.

“Hey,” Ethan murmured gently, and she met his gaze. “You can tell me, Lizzie, you know that,” he added softly and held her gaze. Lizzie stared deeply into his eyes, and squeezed his hand.

“I’m not like most witches. I- me and Josie, we’re twins from the Gemini Coven. We’re siphoners, which means that we don’t have our own magic,” she paused once more, and glanced over at Sebastian, “Sebastian can you…” she trailed off and motioned for him to come over. She stood up beside him and reached to grasp his arm, and the skin where she touched him glowed red as she siphoned some of his vampirism.

“Uh, babe? What are you doing?” Ethan wondered, confused.

“I told you, I don’t have my own magic. But, if I touch someone with magic in them, I can siphon their magic and make it my own,” she explained, then walked over to the bed and grabbed one of the pillows. She opened it up and grabbed a handful of the feathers inside it before sitting down on the bed, and motioning for Ethan to join her. Meanwhile, Sebastian resumed his position by the window. “Watch,” she said softly, and concentrated on making the feathers float around them, firstly just a few, then all of them, swirling around them like snowflakes. She caught Ethan’s gaze, and smiled at him, and Ethan smiled back, his gaze warm.

“Wow,” he said in amazement, his eyes darting around, blinking in astonishment as the feathers continued to whirl around them. “Damn, Saltzman,” he breathed, “you’re awesome!”

Lizzie just laughed, and reached to cup his cheeks, pulling him to her before kissing him, gently at first, then more deeply, her lips moving urgently against his, her tongue tangling with his. Ethan wrapped his own arms around her and pulled her to him before falling backwards on the bed, and Lizzie fell on top of him, letting out a surprised squeal as she did, the flurry of feathers still floating and swirling around them.

Sebastian cleared his throat once more, and coughed, causing them to break the kiss abruptly, and Lizzie clambered off her boyfriend, sitting up and running a nervous hand through her hair, attempting to smoothen them. Ethan sat up beside her.

“As romantic as your little reunion is, I expect Hope informed your boyfriend of his choice, Elizabeth,” the vampire remarked, his voice devoid of emotion. Lizzie glanced at him, and furrowed her brow, trying to figure out what he meant.

But, it was Ethan who realized what Sebastian meant, “uh, you mean about completing my transition? Drink human blood and become a vampire, or wait till the sun sets and die human?” Sebastian nodded, and Lizzie opened her mouth, a protest on the tip of her tongue. “I, uh-” Ethan began, but this time she cut him off.

“Well, the choice is simple, isn’t it, babe?” she asked, snorting slightly at the ridiculousness of it.

“Well, actually-” Ethan began, but she cut him off once more.

“Of course you have to choose to complete your transition. You’ll come back to the school with us, and join our school. Maybe our football team won’t suck so much now that the legendary Ethan-” she said quickly, but this time it was Ethan who cut her off, his index finger on her lips.

“Lizzie, look, I get it might seem like a simple choice to you, but… it’s not a simple choice to me. But, it is _my_ choice,” he said in a soft voice, cupping her cheeks gently as she stared at him in both confusion and disbelief. “You get that, right?” he asked after a pregnant pause. Lizzie nodded numbly, but her heart was practically beating out of her chest.

“Yeah,” she whispered faintly, “of course. It’s your choice,” she mumbled, and attempted a brave smile even though it was more of a grimace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was gonna do a double update, but I didn't have time to finish chapter 11, so I decided to post chapter 10 now, and 11 tomorrow! Hope you guys liked it!  
> Poor Sebastian, I really seem to enjoy torturing him! Now Ethan has a choice, and it might not be what Lizzie thought. What will Ethan choose?  
> You'll find out in chapter 11!


	11. Illicit Affairs

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “For both of us. But, the right thing to do is hard, and I- Sebastian, I am selfish… and, I don’t want you to go,” she added, and his breath hitched in his throat, and he turned to meet her gaze, and his heart hammered in his chest as he stared into the depths of her blue eyes. 
> 
> Sebastian opens up to Lizzie. Later, Hope gives Sebastian some advice about Lizzie's memories. Lastly, Hope witnesses a moment between Lizzie and Sebastian, and Ethan's choice is revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, I know I said I'd have this chapter up earlier, but it took a while to finish. Also, sorry for it being slightly longer than the previous! Hope you enjoy, we're getting to some really interesting things!

Unable to meet his gaze, she stepped away from him, her stomach tightening nervously as the air became thick with tension. Ethan caught her arm, and gripped her lightly, but firmly, pulling her to face him, but the blonde couldn’t meet his gaze.

“Hey,” he said softly, gazing warmly at her, “I’m- I haven’t decided yet… and, of course I’m thinking of you, Saltzman.” There was a tense, awkward silence, and Lizzie swallowed thickly as she peered at him beneath her eyelashes. “I’m always thinking of you, Lizzie,” he added in a husky whisper.

“Yeah?” she asked breathlessly, finally raising her gaze to meet his.

“Yeah. ‘course. Always,” he said reassuringly, and smiled softly at her before pulling her into a gentle hug. Lizzie hugged him back, tucking her chin over her shoulder, her gaze on Sebastian, who turned, and met her gaze, though his expression remained blank, devoid of emotion. Still, his blue-green eyes stared deeply into hers, never breaking contact, and Lizzie smiled gratefully at him before finally pulling away from Ethan’s embrace. “You okay?” Ethan asked as she stepped slightly away from him, needing to put some distance between them.

“Y- yeah, yeah,” she nodded, “I’m fine. I’m good, just- I’m fine, Ethan,” she reassured, smiling tensely at him. “I just- I need a minute, okay?” she added with a heavy sigh. Ethan nodded, dropping his arms to his sides, and stepped away from her.

Lizzie turned to the door, and spared her boyfriend another glance before opening it and stepping out into the dimly lit hallway, and sagged against the wall, letting out a deep, shuddering breath. She stood there for a few seconds, her mind spinning before she finally straightened herself, running her hand haphazardly through her hair in an attempt to smoothen the messy waves, and walked to her own room. It was dark and empty, and Lizzie only turned on the lamp on the nightstand before plopping down on the couch, the same modest-looking couch as the one in Ethan and Hope’s room, and sighed heavily, a lone tear sliding down her cheek.

Her phone rang, and she glanced at it to find it was her dad. [He had called and texted her at least a hundred times since she and Sebastian had left the Salvatore School, but she had ignored him, too exhausted, and not in the mood to talk to him. She knew she had to, but she wasn’t ready. And, she was, maybe, too petty to accept she could be ready]. She let the call go to voicemail, but seconds later, her dad called again. With an annoyed sigh, she picked up.

“Dad,” she muttered, the anger in her voice masking the hurt that she knew she was feeling deep down from years of therapy.

“Lizzie,” he said, sounding relieved.

“You calling to lecture me again?” she hissed angrily into the receiver, skipping any more pleasantries. There was a pregnant pause before her dad’s voice finally broke the silence.

“No, Elizabeth,” he huffed, and Lizzie could practically see his ‘disappointed dad’ expression, a mixture of disapproving and exasperated, could practically see him rub his beard. “I- I’m just calling to see if you’re okay. Because MG looked absolutely terrified when he entered my office last night to tell me you’d gone to Hope and Ethan, and… I lost one daughter, Lizzie, I- I can’t lose you too,” he added, his voice becoming filled with emotion on the last part.

Lizzie groaned, and ran her hands through her hair, “Josie’s still out there, we’re going to get her back,” she objected. “And, you didn’t lose me, dad. I’m- just on a road trip. I’ll be back soon, bye,” she added firmly before ending the call, not giving him a chance to add anything else. She tossed her phone onto the bed, and returned to her spot on the couch.

Moments later, she heard a few knocks on the door, and stood up, grumbling in annoyance as the knocks grew with intensity, and swung the door open. Sebastian stood in front of her door, his expression neutral, arms crossed over his chest. But when his eyes met hers, his gaze was warm, and he broke into a half smile.

“Hello, Elizabeth,” he said softly, and Lizzie couldn’t help but smile herself, warmth involuntarily filling her chest, and she sighed.

“Aren’t you supposed to be… my boyfriend’s bodyguard?” she grumbled, her eyebrows knitting in confusion, and leaned against the door.

“It’s not my… job, is it, as they say?” Sebastian retorted, shrugging. “May I?”

She nodded, and stepped aside, letting him enter before shutting the door behind him.

“So, now, what?” she demanded, crossing her arms over her chest as she sat down once more. “You here to check up on me? Guard me to make sure I don’t somehow force feed Ethan human blood and force him to complete the transition?”

“I…” Sebastian began, and sat down beside her, clearing his throat. “I never assumed that was your intention, Elizabeth. I- I thought you were more concerned with respecting his choice,” he replied slowly, and turned to look at her, his eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“Well, I obviously am!” she grumbled. “Of course I respect his choice, considering what a feminist I am!” she exclaimed, which only caused Sebastian to look more confused.

“I don’t… know what that means?”

Lizzie had to roll her eyes again at Sebastian’s adorably confused expression. “It’s not about him having a choice, of course I care about that. It’s his choice. But, I- I am a very selfish person, and I want him to make the obvious (to me, at least,) choice of becoming a vampire because… I want him to do it for me,” she finally said, and averted her gaze, refusing to meet his. Silence settled between them, and you could probably hear a pin drop as neither of them said anything, or moved for that matter. Finally, she felt Sebastian’s hand resting over hers, his fingers laced with hers, and she turned to meet his gaze. “So, now you know… like I said, I am selfish,” she mumbled softly.

“It’s okay, Elizabeth,” was all he said. “You know, vampirism itself… it was never about choice. Pretty sure most vampires wouldn’t have chosen this life for themselves, but someone else did it for them. Even the Original family didn’t choose this for themselves… their parents did,” he said slowly, pausing every once in a while like he was trying very hard to choose his words carefully. “Even this choice you’re offering Ethan, to finish the transition, or not, is very… noble of you, Elizabeth. Not many of us had that choice, some of simply because the hunger was too… too much. Some of us because we had to no choice, or we didn’t know that if we fought the hunger long enough we could have died a human death…” he trailed off, and swallowed thickly.

There was another brief moment of silence, though this time it wasn’t awkward.

“Was it- was it like that for you?” Lizzie finally wondered, peering curiously at him, and squeezed his hand gently. This time it was Sebastian who averted his gaze, his tousled dark hair falling over his shoulders before he finally nodded.

“Yes, Elizabeth… it was,” he finally admitted, running a hand through his dark hair, and Lizzie bit her lip.

“Hey,” she said softly, her voice almost a whisper as she moved closer to him, angling her body towards him, “c’mon, you can tell me,” she smiled gently at him, and he turned to look – well, not exactly at her – but in her general direction. “I don’t scare easy,” she added, her voice a little teasing to lighten the mood, a little bit of false bravado to hide her own fear. [Because deep down she was scared. Scared that whatever Sebastian was so apprehensive, so afraid, of telling her would somehow change how she saw him despite the fact that she barely knew him. Scared that beneath the charming but devilish charm, the English accent and ancient mannerisms, the feelings he has for her, fancies her, was a monster. But, she didn’t tell him any of that. Instead, she reached for his other hand, taking both his hands in hers, and squeezed lightly. “You can tell me,” she added softly, and finally he looked up and met her gaze, his own gaze surprised, but soon his eyes were filled with warmth as they stared deeply into hers, and a small, bemused smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Sebastian?” she wondered half-expectantly, half-urging, her own blue eyes staring deeply into his, willing him to say something, to tell her.

He sighed heavily, and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, the gesture causing butterflies to flutter in her stomach, but her expression remained unbothered, not giving anything away. “I just-” he began, but cut himself off and swallowed thickly, “I just don’t want to scare you off, Elizabeth,” he finally said. “I couldn’t live with myself if y- if for some reason you thought differently of me if I told you… you must know you are very important to me, Elizabeth, and I couldn’t- I couldn’t live with myself if I disappointed you,” he confessed, his voice thick with emotion on the last part as his gaze drifted down to their joined hands, surprise flitting across his expression as if he suddenly realized that they were holding hands.

“Hey,” she said softly, and pulled one hand away to cup his cheek, and she knew she was venturing into unchartered territory, was breaking about a million rules she’d made for herself, crossing some invisible line, but the lines between them were so blurry as it was, Lizzie didn’t care much. “Hey, look at me,” she said more firmly, “I know how hard it is to open up, trust me, I do, but you’ll be better for it. I told you, you can tell me, I don’t scare easy,” she finished, her teeth grazing her lips slightly. Sebastian just nodded, and leaned into her touch, and Lizzie was pretty sure she was oh-so-screwed. Still, she didn’t pull away, but he did. Sebastian rested his hand over hers, then pulled her hand away from his face and took it within his, resting their joined hands on the space between them once more.

Sebastian cleared his throat and shut his eyes briefly before opening them once more and meeting her gaze, “when I was eight years old, my parents sold me to a merchant ship,” he finally said slowly, and Lizzie’s breath hitched in her throat, her eyes widening. Sebastian pursed his lips, his brows knitting together before he continued, “I hated that life… it was a never-ending cycle of torture and punishment, just sailing around the world, so… every port we sailed to I escaped. But, the crew…” he paused, took a deep breath, and she squeezed his hands reassuringly, and he exhaled before continuing, “they always found me. And, they had special, painful punishments for me. But, I wasn’t healing to their liking, so they fed me vampire blood so I would heal me, and they would- torture me again. And, again. And, again,” his voice broke on the last part, and Lizzie wanted to do more, to pull him into a hug and hold him, but she wasn’t sure she should, or that he would want her to. So, she just rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles and squeezed his hands, and nodded for him to go on. “But, one time they ended up killing me. And, I woke up,” he paused once more, and gulped, his eyes glassy with tears, “I woke up… it was dark, and it- it hurt… everywhere, and all I felt was this- this hunger, this pain, this rage I- I just couldn’t shake...” he trailed off and sighed, bowing his head, his dark hair falling over his face.

“What?” she asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper. “What did you do?”

“I slaughtered them all,” he finally said, and inhaled sharply, sniffling. “I’m a monster, Elizabeth,” he added, his voice filled with guilt and regret as he ran his hand through his tousled dark hair.

“Oh…” was all she could say, though she didn’t pull her hands away, and remained there beside him.

* * *

After he finished, Elizabeth fell silent except for a quiet ‘oh’, though she didn’t pull away from him, and instead remained beside him, her hands in his grounding him. [He’d never told anyone that, had never admitted that when he woke up as a vampire he’d had no way of controlling himself, that he’d succumbed to the monster he had become immediately. But, he had told her, and somehow she wasn’t running].

“I- I became Sebastian the Merciless, and I- I was ruthless… I sailed the waters and killed everyone in my path, and I- I enjoyed it, Elizabeth,” his voice shook with emotion, and he shook his head as if in disbelief. “You know, the worst part is- the worst part was that I enjoyed it…” he added with a sigh, and pulled away from her. Then, he felt Elizabeth’s body closer to his, and she rest her hand over his, lacing her fingers with his. Sebastian’s gaze snapped over to hers, and Elizabeth’s gaze softened.

“But, you’re… you’re different now,” she said softly, her thumb rubbing over his knuckles, “you’re- look, Sebastian, I may not know you well, but I know that you are good,” she added, her lips curling into a slow, gentle smile, and Sebastian’s chest constricted painfully, and all he wanted to do was believe her. “You helped… ever since you joined the school, you’ve been a part of the Super Squad, and you’ve helped us. You’ve helped me… you- you did good, Sebastian, you did good. So, whatever you’ve done in your past, whatever you think makes you worthless and undeserving... you did good. It’s in the past,” she finally said, and rubbed his knuckles in comfort. Her face was mere inches from his, and all he wanted to do was grab her and kiss her senseless, but he knew he couldn’t, or maybe, deep down he was afraid she would pull away and hate him forever.

“Thank you, Elizabeth,” he muttered instead. “That was very kind of you,” he added. “I think I’m going to go see Hope,” he announced as he stood up, but turned to face her, “unless you need me?”

“No, I’m- I’m good. I’ll just- I’ll just stay here. Maybe I’ll order some room service or something. I’m good,” she said, smiling softly. When he opened his mouth to ask whether she was sure, she beat him to it, “I’m sure, Sebastian. I’ll be fine, I’ve got my phone on me. I’ll see you later, okay?”

“Alright, Elizabeth. I shall see you soon,” he told her with a curt nod. Then, he turned around and left.

As soon as he was away from Elizabeth, it hit him, the feelings he had kept at bay, the pain caused by the lines between them, the weight of sharing what he had with her, all of it hit him all at once, and Sebastian all but collapsed from the onslaught of emotions. He staggered, holding onto a nearby wall, and willed those feelings away, squeezing his eyes tightly shut as if that would take the pain away. His phone pinged with a message from Hope, asking him to meet her downstairs, so Sebastian raced downstairs. He found the tribrid leaning against the outside wall, and she was talking on the phone. Sebastian strained his hearing a little, and heard Landon’s voice on the other end.

_“Well, just, you know, just take care, okay?”_

“I will, don’t worry about me. I’m Wonder Woman, remember?” Hope quipped, amused, her lips curling into an amused smile, her eyes shining, and Sebastian smiled as he saw the look on her face, the one she got every time she was around, or speaking to Landon Kirby. [He felt jealousy surge through him, and he thought of Elizabeth, and how she once used to look at him, so full of kindness, trust, joy, tenderness, but, it wasn’t how she now looked at Ethan, and Sebastian wondered if there was hope for him, for them after all]. Landon said something else, but Sebastian didn’t eavesdrop this time, giving Hope some privacy. Hope laughed, a joyful, sweet laugh, and glanced over at him, her expression becoming more serious. “Alright, babe, I gotta go. I’ll talk to you soon, and hopefully I will see you tonight,” she added, smiling fondly even though she couldn’t see him. “Yup. I love you, too,” she chuckled, “bye, Landon!” she added, amused before ending the call.

“Wonder Woman?” he asked, furrowing his eyebrows, scrunching up his face. Hope snorted, and rolled her eyes, amused.

“Ask MG,” she quipped. “Now, c’mon, I have an idea about what we can do to kill time,” she said, straightening herself, and rummaged through her pockets before pulling something out.

“And, what might that be?”

“Day drinking,” she announced with a grin. He stared at her, and raised his eyebrows in confusion.

“Well, that’s easy. We just go to an establishment which endeavors in the selling of alcohol and purchase ourselves a bottle,” he shrugged, unimpressed. Hope had sounded excited, but all she planned was to day drink, which Sebastian knew they could easily do, so he was concerned as to why she was making such a fuss about it.

“We could, but they’d probably kick us out since we’re both under age. However, I happen to have these things called fake IDs, which will help us pass for legal adults and engage in day drinking,” she informed him, smirking smugly.

Sebastian chuckled, “ah, I see… well, then,” he stepped closer to Hope and grabbed the ID that had his photo on it, “Andrea Marshall, let’s go do some sibling bonding, shall we?”

Hope smirked, “let’s go, Sebastian Marshall,” she agreed.

* * *

After bonding over tequila and various assortments of alcoholic beverages at a nearby bar, the two of them grabbed a bottle of bourbon to share and returned to the motel, though this time they immediately raced to the roof. They sat on the edge, both their legs dangling over it and Sebastian opened the bottle.

“So, Landon thinks you should tell Lizzie about- about your history,” Hope informed him as he brought the bottle to his lips. He froze, nearly spitting out the drink, and coughed before turning to the tribrid.

“Does he now?” he quirked an eyebrow.

“And, look, I’m- I get why you’re not telling her, but I kind of see his point,” she sighed, and grabbed the bottle from him before taking a sip. He merely gave her a quizzical look. “Look, I didn’t want to tell Landon, and I didn’t even tell him, but he found out either way. And, things did work out for us, but they might not have. Landon might not have wanted anything to do with me, I- I could have lost him…” she trailed off, and took another sip before handing him the bottle. “But, you don’t have to. You can tell her the truth, and maybe Lizzie will realize that deep down she does feel the connection between you two-” she continued, but he cut her off.

“Or, I might lose her forever. Thanks for the suggestion, Hope, but I- I am not ready to tell her, and I don’t think she’s ready to know,” he told her and took another sip of the bourbon.

“You know, you can’t just make this decision for her,” she informed him, giving him a pointed look.

But, before he could reply, someone else spoke and interrupted him.

“There you are.”

Sebastian and Hope both turned to find Elizabeth standing on the rooftop, arms crossed over her chest, panting slightly.

“Lizzie!” Hope exclaimed in greeting at the same time he merely breathed out, “Elizabeth.”

“Sorry to- I just- Ethan and I kind of got into a fight,” she stammered, and walked over to them slowly, and plopped down beside Hope, who took her hand and squeezed it gently, and Elizabeth leaned her head on Hope’s shoulder while he just sat there and took a sip of the bourbon.

“What happened?” Hope asked, concern clear in her voice, and turned to face Elizabeth while Sebastian just sat there, his back rigid, hands gripping the edge of the rooftop as he tried not to look at the blonde siphoner.

“I just- I can’t lose him,” Elizabeth sighed sadly, resting her chin in the palm of her hand.

“Lose him?” Hope asked, incredulous, and glanced worriedly at him over Elizabeth’ shoulder. “Why would y- did he- Lizzie, did Ethan make his decision?” Hope peered at her, her eyebrows furrowed curiously. Elizabeth shook her head, her blonde waves swooshing across her shoulders as a slight breeze blew.

“I- not really,” she sighed, “I mean, he just- he said he needed some more time. Well, actually he said he thought it might be easier if he- I got mad, we had a fight- having a fling is so much easier than a relationship,” she grumbled, running a hand through her disheveled hair and tucking it behind her ears, “anyways, we got into a fight and he said he needed some space to think, so I just- came up here. God, it would be so nice to have a pint of chocolate chip mint ice-cream,” she bemoaned, leaning her head on Hope’s shoulder.

“Oh, Lizzie,” Hope said sympathetically, rubbing her arm gently. “It would be, but hey, we can eat ice-cream and binge Gossip Girl when we get back, okay? Everything’s going to be fine,” the tribrid told her friend comfortingly.

“Thanks,” Elizabeth muttered. The three of them sat there for a while, Hope comforting Elizabeth while he sat beside Hope, sneaking glances at the object of his affection, the woman he loved.

After a while, Hope stood up, and both him and Elizabeth glanced at her in surprise.

“I’m… I’m gonna go check on Ethan. Somebody should anyways, and you need space, Lizzie. So, I’ll see you guys later?” she said, and they nodded simultaneously.

Elizabeth cleared her throat, “yeah, maybe you’re right once in a while,” she rolled her eyes. He chuckled, amused, and Elizabeth glanced at him in confusion. The object of his affection turned to his best friend then, “take care of Ethan, will you? And, this time try not to turn him into some kind of hybrid,” she added lightly, and Hope flashed her a glare.

“I will. I’m sorry about before, but I promise I will keep him safe. Besides, what he needs right now is to talk to someone. Maybe I can help with that, I mean no one here has felt the same way he does,” Hope remarked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, we get it, Supergirl,” Elizabeth snorted, rolling her eyes. Sebastian furrowed his eyebrows, wondering who this Supergirl was, but he decided he would ask later. Hope laughed, and rolled her eyes before she vamp-sped off the roof.

After Hope left, a tense atmosphere settled between them, and the vampire cleared his throat awkwardly, but it was Elizabeth who broke the silence.

“The right thing to do would be to tell you to go,” Elizabeth finally said, her voice soft. “For both of us. But, the right thing to do is hard, and I- Sebastian, I am selfish… and, I don’t want you to go,” she added, and his breath hitched in his throat, and he turned to meet her gaze, and his heart hammered in his chest as he stared into the depths of her blue eyes. “I want you to stay, which like I said, is really selfish, but I can’t help it. You make it better by just being here… ever since you came to Mystic Falls, I’ve felt more alive than ever before,” she continued, and their fingers brushed, sending jolts of electricity through both of them. “I feel safer than ever before. So, I know how selfish it is to ask this of you, but… I- I want you to stay. Don’t go somewhere far away from Mystic Falls, from me… Please, Sebastian,” she drawled, her voice a breathless whisper as she reached to grasp his hands in hers, her thumbs rubbing over his knuckles, and he relished in the soft, warm feel of her skin on his. “Please, Sebastian… just stay,” she repeated breathlessly, and he sighed, shutting his eyes briefly. When he opened them, Elizabeth’s face seemed closer to his than before, her nose almost brushing against his, and he could feel her breath on his face. She pulled her hands away from his, and he frowned at the loss of contact, but soon relaxed because she reached to cup his cheeks, and he couldn’t help but lean into her touch. “Please, just… stay,” she whispered again. And then, her lips were on his, soft and gentle, and he kissed her back instinctively, moving his own hands to rest them on her waist. Elizabeth moved slowly and gently, but the kiss soon became more heated, her lips moving more fervently against his, and he leaned into the kiss, kissing her eagerly, his hands pulling her to him, as she tugged on his hair while her teeth grazed his lower lip lightly, causing him to moan into the kiss as his hands slid into her hair. Their tongues tangled together, lips molded with each other until air became a necessity and reality set in once again. Sebastian pulled away from Elizabeth, and gripped her shoulders lightly, and pushed her away gently.

“Wh-” she began, shaking her head, the hurt expression on her face like a knife twisting in his chest, and all Sebastian wanted was to fix it, to take that hurt away, to take her in his arms and kiss her senseless, but he knew he couldn’t. And, deep down, so did she. 

“Elizabeth, please,” he muttered, his own voice shaky, “listen to me. I- I want this… so much,” he admitted, and her breath hitched in her throat as she peered at him beneath her long lashes. “Please, you have to believe me, Elizabeth. Please… please…” he pleaded his lower lip quivering, his voice shaking with emotion as his hands cupped her cheeks, and he stared deeply in Elizabeth’s glassy blue eyes. “I want you, Elizabeth, I want you so much it- it hurts. But, if I- if we continued this when you are upset, it would be wrong and it would only hurt more. And, I don’t ever want to hurt you, Elizabeth. _Ever_. Listen, I- I know I haven’t always been a good man, and honorable man,” he paused, and Elizabeth opened mouth to protest, but he didn’t let her, “please don’t, don’t say anything. Let me- let me finish, please,” he said his voice wavering, his throat closing as his chest constricted, “I want to be better, Elizabeth… I want to be a better man… and, that means that I cannot let you do this as much as I want you to- as much as I crave you,” he finished, his voice a hoarse whisper, and let out a shaky exhale. Then, he lifted his head slightly and pressed his lips to her forehead as a tear slid from the corner of his eye. He wiped it away and pulled away from her as Elizabeth wrapped her arms around herself, hugging herself, and let out a shaky breath. Together they stood up.

“I should- I should go,” she said shyly, panting slightly. He nodded.

“I will be right behind you, I just need a minute,” he sighed, needing to compose himself, and wanting to put some distance between them. The sun was almost setting, and they would have to go back soon.

“Okay,” Elizabeth said as she rushed to the door that led downstairs. “See you.”

“Okay, Elizabeth,” he muttered as he watched her go.

* * *

Hope gasped as she watched her Lizzie pull Sebastian in for a kiss that he returned eagerly before pulling away, a little reluctantly. Part of her wanted to just turn around and leave, but she couldn’t tear her gaze away or keep from eavesdropping as Sebastian spoke, telling Lizzie why they couldn’t continue before the two of them stood up. She sensed they were going to leave the roof, so she turned around and left, descending the stairs two at a time before vamp-speeding to her and Ethan’s room where she found the recently-transitioned vampire lounging on the bed.

“Hey, Hope,” he smirked.

“Ethan,” she panted, her heart hammering in her chest. “Wh- what’s up?”

“We leaving soon?”

“Yeah, as soon as Sebastian and Lizzie get back from eating,” she told him breathlessly. The vampire looked confused, but nodded.

“Cool. Can’t wait to tell Lizzie what I decided,” he smirked just as there was a knock on the door.

“Come in!” she yelled, and the door opened to reveal Lizzie, followed by Sebastian, whose gaze was averted. Hope sighed, and smiled at them both.

“So,” Ethan began, smirking slightly, “guess now you’re stuck with me forever,” he announced, and Lizzie’s eyes widened before she launched herself into her boyfriend’s arms, letting out a gleeful squeal as she wrapped her arms around his neck before pulling him in for a kiss. Sebastian looked away, his fists curling in frustration, while she attempted not to look at either of them.


	12. The Truth of Stolen Stares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Three months later, what happened between Lizzie and Sebastian comes back to bite Lizzie. And, Lizzie finds out that Sebastian was keeping something from her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no update of this fic! Hope you enjoy this chapter though!   
> xx

**Three Months Later**

When they returned to the school, Lizzie wasn’t sure what was more shocking; the fact that Ethan was a vampire, or the fact that Maya was apparently a witch. Maybe both. And, while Ethan began attending school, which wasn’t entirely just because Ethan wanted it, Maya refused to do so, and continued to go to Mystic Falls High, though she did come to the Salvatore School for witch classes, and tutoring sessions with Hope. And, that was the part Lizzie really hated because Hope was barely saying a word to her, and only hanging out with Maya whenever the newbie witch was around, or Sebastian. [He’d pulled away, too, though at least Lizzie had an explanation for that. But, Hope was another thing altogether. Her best friend was not talking to her, and the blonde siphoner couldn’t figure out why]. So, Lizzie had been spending the past few weeks with Ethan, helping him with his vampirism, with MG, and was even repairing the rift with her dad, and was trying to avoid Sebastian because even one look at him reminded her of their encounter on the rooftop, their kiss, the way he looked at her, the way it felt to be in his arms. _Stop it, Lizzie!_ She yelled at herself, shaking herself out of it.

With a sigh, she shook herself, pushing the memories away. But, that was easier said than done. And then, she saw him, leaving a classroom along with Hope and Landon. Landon said something to Hope, and she laughed while Sebastian just watched them amused. Then, as if sensing her presence, he looked up and his blue eyes met hers. Lizzie’s breath hitched in her throat as she remembered how those blue eyes stared into hers after their last kiss. And, their first kiss. And, every time in between, he would just look at her with that piercing stare like he was seeing through her soul. She bit her lip, and took a step towards him, though she wasn’t sure why. Sebastian opened his mouth as if to say something. And then, Hope looked up and spotted Lizzie. Lizzie waved, but her best friend ignored her, and she felt a pang in her chest. And, Hope said something, grabbing Sebastian’s attention, and he looked away from her. Lizzie tried not to think about how much that hurt, so instead she turned and walked to her next class.

She spotted Ethan, wearing his school uniform. She had to admit, her boyfriend was pulling off the Salvatore School uniform, and she liked the fact that they could practically spend all day together. He must have sensed her, because he turned around and smiled upon seeing her.

“Hey, you,” she greeted him once she was close enough, and threw her arms around him before pulling him in for a kiss, knowing who was watching her. She could feel his eyes on her, but she didn’t care. Or, maybe, a petty part of her just wanted to hurt him. Ethan kissed her back, his own hands resting on her hips and he pulled her closer as she deepened the kiss, her lips molding with his, her fingers tugging onto his brown hair, their tongues tangling together. When air became a necessity, she pulled away, though she remained in his arms, her own hands resting on his shoulders.

“Hey, babe,” he greeted her, smiling softly at her, and she returned the smile. “How’s your day been?”

“It’s been okay,” she said, flashing him a small smile. “Better now,” she added, and Ethan grinned.

“Hope still icing you out?” he wondered as he wrapped an arm around her and led her to their next class, and she leaned into him, though there was a tiny part of her that wished he was someone else. But, she pushed that part, and those desires away.

“Yup. It’s getting on my nerves. I mean, I thought we’d moved past this pettiness. But, here we are. And, I’m getting the Hope Mikaelson silent treatment,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Lucky me,” she muttered, shaking her head.

“Maybe you should talk to her?” Ethan suggested. “Look, she’s your best friend. Whatever’s going on with her and Maya? I don’t know…” he trailed off with a shrug. “But, you’re her best friend. So, just talk to her, you guys will figure this out, kay?” Ethan said, smiling softly at her.

“Hmm, guess you’re right. I should rise above this,” she said with a sigh. “Thanks, babe,” she told him. Just then, the door to the classroom opened and four students entered. Rafael, Landon, hand in hand with Hope, who ignored her, and lastly Sebastian. Lizzie couldn’t help but let her eyes roam over him. _This would be so much easier if he wasn’t this hot, damn it._ He seemed to sense her, and he glanced over at her briefly. For a moment, their gazes met, blue eyes staring into her own blue ones, and Lizzie felt like she could get lost in them. But, as soon as it was there, the connection was gone because Sebastian looked away and walked the rest of the way to his desk. And, Lizzie, too, looked away.

* * *

After class, Hope went back to her room while Landon and Raf had gym and Sebastian was doing something else. To clear her mind, she decided to paint, and she was in the middle of doing so when the door of her room was nearly blasted off its hinges. The tribrid looked up in surprise, ready to defend herself, but found a pissed off Lizzie Saltzman standing in front of her, arms crossed over her chest.

“Lizzie!” she exclaimed, taken completely off guard.

“Hope. Andrea. Mikaelson. How dare you?” Lizzie snapped, gritting her teeth, and glaring at her.

“Excuse me?” Hope demanded, furrowing her eyebrows in confusion as she stood up quickly. _What could possibly have happened for her best friend to be this pissed off at her?_ Lizzie looked murderous and like she was about to give her a brain aneurism.

“Lizzie, whatever it is, just tell me before you do anything, and I can explain-” she started, but the blonde cut her off.

“Oh, I’ll tell you, alright,” she remarked sarcastically. “You have been giving me the silent treatment for months! Ever since we came back from the dingy motel off the side of the road after my boyfriend was turned into a vampire!” she snapped angrily. _Oh. Oh. So, that’s why she was pissed off._

Hope had to laugh, and it caused Lizzie to glare at her even more menacingly. “Oh. Right. I just find it funny how you still call Ethan your boyfriend when you cheated on him!” she snapped, too. If this was something else, she would have apologized, but she wasn’t going to apologize for this.

“Excuse me?”

“Oh, come on, Lizzie,” she scoffed, “you’re not gonna lie to me, are you? I saw you two on the motel rooftop. You kissed Sebastian. You know, I would be hell of a lot less pissed if _he_ kissed _you_ -” she started, but Lizzie cut her off.

“That’s kind of sexist, don’t you think? And, here I thought you were my best friend,” Lizzie retorted, rolling her eyes.

“It has nothing to do with gender! It’s simply the fact that you keep saying you feel nothing for him, you’re dating Ethan blah blah, and then you kiss him! I know he has a thing for you, trust me, so I would totally expect him to be the one to kiss you, but-” she ranted, but Lizzie cut her off again.

“He’s done it, for the record,” she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest once more.

Hope’s expression softened, “I know,” she said, sounding less angry. “But, I thought you didn’t feel the same,” she said her more gently. 

“I don’t,” Lizzie said, gritting her teeth, but Hope didn’t quite believe her. “It was just one kiss, one moment of weakness on my part. It hasn’t- it won’t happen again. But, I don’t think that even if it did that it would be reason enough to ruin our friendship over it,” she told her, and Hope’s shoulders slumped. “We are two badass witches and women and we should not let a guy stand in the way of our friendship,” she said, and Hope had to smile.

“Agreed,” she said, and her lips curled into a small smile. “You’re right, Lizzie. And, maybe it was unfair of me to give you the silent treatment when this is your life and your relationships,” she added. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I know you’re just looking out for me,” the blonde told her.

“Should we hug it out?” she asked hesitantly. 

“Totally,” Lizzie chuckled, and opened her arms wide and Hope went over and hugged her tightly.

When they pulled away, she added, “my aunt Bekah always said us girls should stick together.”

Lizzie grinned, “well, from what I hear, your aunt’s pretty smart,” she quipped.

“So, we’re good?”

“Yup, we’re good. Now, what were you doing?”

“Painting?” she said, though it sounded more like a question.

“No, you’re not. C’mon, let’s go, they’re having a Wickory match outside,” she told her, smirking deviously, dragging her out of the room. Wordlessly, Hope followed, shaking her head with laughter.

* * *

Sebastian couldn’t take it anymore. It just hurt too much. His fist connected with the punching bag, and it moved, making a clanging sound. He repeated the action. Again. And, again. And, again. He just kept hitting as memories flooded his mind, but he squeezed his eyes tightly, pushing them away. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t feel because if he let himself to any of those things he would inevitably think of her, of Elizabeth and he would feel the pain and the longing he felt for her, and that would just remind him of the fact that she didn’t remember him, that she didn’t love him, that she didn’t see him the way he saw her. He shook his head, and hit again. And, again.

The door to the gym creaked open and he heard the click clack of heels on the hardwood floor. The scent told him it was Hope, so he continued with his movements.

“Sebastian?” his best friend asked as she came closer to him. Sweat dripped over his brow, and his dark hair was matted to his forehead, but he didn’t care. He didn’t care because Elizabeth had kissed Ethan in front of him. Because she knew how he felt and she kissed the baby vampire in front of him, knowing he was there, to hurt him. He felt Hope’s hand on his shoulder, but he pushed her off him and lunged, delivering a hard blow to the punching bag, knocking it off its post, and it flew and fell to the floor. “Sebastian!” Hope exclaimed, and he finally turned to her, and wiped the sweat off his brow with his arm. “What the hell?” she demanded, crossing her arms, but he just shook his head.

“I can’t- I can’t do this anymore,” he finally said, panting. “I just-” he cut himself off, and took a deep, ragged breath as he collapsed to the floor. Hope knelt down beside him, her expression one of concern. “I’m in love with her. Elizabeth. I am in love with her,” he said breathlessly, and he felt tears prickle at his eyes, but he blinked them away.

Hope chuckled, and smiled softly, “tell me something I don’t know,” she quipped, and he chuckled bitterly, flashing her a half-smile.

“And, she’s dating him. Ethan.” He practically hissed the other vampire’s name, but at this point he didn’t care. “And, she knows how I feel for her. Maybe not all of it, but she does know I care for her. That I fancy her,” he continued, his breath coming out in small gasps like he couldn’t quite catch his breath. “And, she’s with him. It’s my fault, too. Because I pushed her away. I was- I was trying to do the right thing,” he continued to ramble, and Hope just sat there, her hand on his shoulder. “I was trying to do the right thing. To be a better man. And, now she’s chosen him, and she’s kissing him in front of me because she knows what pain she’s causing me,” he finished, choking on a sob. Hope just continued to rub his shoulder while he took a few deep breaths, trying to calm down, though he was failing.

“I am so sorry,” she muttered, and continued to rub his shoulder. He just nodded. After a while, though, he did calm down and the two of them went to sit on the bleachers, silence descending between them. It was Hope who spoke next, “Sebastian,” she said softly, breaking the silence. He turned to face her. “I know about the kiss,” she finally said, and he froze.

“Wh- what kiss?” But, he knew what she meant.

“I know Lizzie kissed you. On the rooftop. The motel rooftop,” she clarified, playing along, and he hung his head.

“I- Then, I suppose you know I kissed her back,” he said, sighing heavily. Oh, how he wished for a bottle of bourbon right about now.

“And, I know you pulled away. That’s what you meant just now. You pulled away and tried to be a better man even though it broke your heart, right?” the tribrid said gently, and he just nodded. Hope took a deep breath, “I think… I think you should tell Lizzie the truth,” she added hesitantly. His gaze snapped to hers.

“Why?”

“Because it’s not fair for you to keep this from her. Because she feels something for you, too, even though she won’t admit it because she’s scared of giving in to the darker parts of herself that are drawn to you. Because of what this is doing to you,” she told him.

He shook his head, chuckling bitterly, “I don’t care about me,” he mumbled, but she gave him a pointed look.

“Yeah right,” she scoffed. “Says the guy who knocked down a punching bag ‘cause he couldn’t do it anymore,” she added, smiling knowingly.

“I don’t want to hurt her, Hope,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Yes, I am selfish because I am tired of hurting and want it to stop, but I also don’t want to hurt her. More than anything, Hope, I don’t wish to cause Elizabeth any pain,” he continued sadly. “All I want is for her to be happy. Even if it means it’s without me.”

“I know,” Hope nodded, smiling still, and reached for his hand. He let her take it, lacing their fingers together. “But, you are still hurting her by not telling her the truth, too,” she added. “She deserves to know about what happened.”

He bowed his head, “I know. I just-” he paused, sighing, and the two of them continued to stare at the other side of the gym. Sebastian wasn’t quite sure he was even looking at anything in particular. Finally, he turned and met his best friend’s gaze, “I am scared, Hope,” he admitted. “I fear that if I do tell her I will lose her forever. And, I would rather have her in my life like this than not have her in my life at all. I need her,” he said softly, his voice breaking. Hope just nodded sadly.

“Yeah, I know. And, look, when you first came here, I let you keep it from her. But, you can’t keep this secret. Not anymore. You have to tell her. She deserves to know,” she said.

But, before he could respond, someone beat him to it. “Yeah, I think so, too.” No, not just someone. Elizabeth. Sebastian froze, and both him and Hope turned to find the blonde standing in front of them. She looked furious, her blue eyes blazing as they glared at both him and Hope, and her lips were stretched into a thin line. But, there was something else, too, in her expression. Something she was hiding.

“Lizzie,” Hope breathed out next to him.

“Hello, Elizabeth,” he said slowly, his voice steady despite the fact that his heart was hammering in his chest. He stood up slowly, and moved towards her, but she stepped back.

“Don’t,” she practically hissed. “Don’t pretend. Don’t ‘hello, Elizabeth’ me with your charming accent and your devilish smile. You don’t fool me anymore,” she said, her voice cold, and he flinched.

“Elizabeth, please,” he began, pleadingly, and he wanted to reach for her and touch her, but he couldn’t. “Please, just- just listen to me. I- I don’t wish to cause you pain,” he continued. Hope, too, stood up along with me.

“Lizzie, please, just listen,” she said cautiously, but the blonde siphoner shook her head.

“Stay out of this, Hope!” she snapped, then she turned to him.

“You-” she stopped herself, but he heard her voice waver, “you lied to me. You’ve been lying to me this whole time…” she trailed off, and he noticed her eyes filled with tears. “How could you?” she demanded angrily. “You said you cared about me! That you fancied me, or whatever… But, it was all a lie! You just lied to me!” she yelled, tears threatening to spill from her beautiful blue eyes. Sebastian took another step towards her, reaching tentatively for her, but she didn’t give him the chance. She turned, directing her blazing fury at Hope. “And, you! My best friend! You’ve been lying to me, too! All this time, you’ve been lying to me!” she screamed, but her voice broke on the last part. “I trusted you, Hope! After everything we’ve been through, I trusted you, and you- you betrayed me! You both did! How could you?” she screamed, choking on a sob, and his heart ached at seeing her in this much pain. Pain he caused, he reminded himself. He noticed that the ground was shaking and the room, too, and there was a clatter as some of the gym equipment shook. It was Elizabeth’s magic, reacting to her emotions. Hope reached for him and gripped his arm, not letting him move any closer.

“Elizabeth, please,” he begged, “please just take a deep breath, your magic- please, I will explain it to you, I-” he cut himself off, but Elizabeth did take a deep breath, held it for a second, then released it. A tear spilled over her cheek, and Sebastian’s heart broke, and he broke free of Hope’s grip and took the final step towards Elizabeth. He reached for her, but she flinched, and yet he heard the slight inhale, her heart skipping a beat. _Was she as affected by his presence as he was by hers?_ “Elizabeth,” he said slowly, his own voice shaking with emotion, “please listen to me,” he said pleadingly. “Please. You must believe me, please. I- I would never do anything to hurt you,” he begged. They were standing so close, faces mere inches from each other, and their gazes met, and he heard her breath hitch in her throat. His own heart was practically bursting out of his chest.

“But, you did,” she muttered breathlessly.

“I know. But, it was never my intention. I was trying to protect you,” he said softly as he reached and caressed her jaw, then cupped her cheek gently. She leaned into his touch, and his heart skipped a beat. “Because, I-” I love you, he wanted to say, but he knew it was too soon, so instead he said, “I care about you.” She shut her eyes, and another tear slid down her cheek, but he wiped it away gently. “Listen to me, Elizabeth,” he whispered softly, and she opened her eyes, meeting his gaze, “if you want the truth, I will give it to you. As painful and hard as it is, I will tell you everything,” he said. “But, only if you want it. Meet me at the lakes tomorrow night, and I will tell you everything. But, if you don’t want that, then you have to tell me that, too. You want me to stay and keep my distance? I will do that as much as it will break my heart. You want me to leave and never return? I will do that, too. My fate is in your hands, Elizabeth Jenna Saltzman. I just need you to tell me, okay?”

She nodded, and mustered a weak, tearful smile, “okay. I-” she cut herself off, and seemed to consider this for a second before she continued, “I don’t want you to go,” she finally said, and he nodded. “But, I don’t know if I want- if I’m ready to know the truth” she finally said after a few minutes of silence. He nodded, trying to keep the disappointment from his face, and dropped his hand, and she stepped away. “I should, uh, I should go,” she said, and he nodded. And then, as she walked to the doors of the gym, she stopped and walked back to him. She tilted her head, and leaned towards him. Sebastian’s breath hitched in his throat. He could swear his heart had stopped beating. And then, she brushed her lips against his skin. Briefly, and she pulled away. And then, she was gone.

He turned to face his best friend then who was smirking smugly and shaking her head.

“What?”

“Your dead ex-girlfriend was right,” she said, but he only regarded her with confusion. _What did Cassandra have to do with this?_ Hope chuckled, clearly amused at his expense, “you guys really are meant to be,” she finally said. “I’ve never seen anyone talk Lizzie out of an episode. But, you did.”

“I suppose I did,” he muttered. “But, it doesn’t really mean anything,” he added sadly.

“Well, it seems pretty epic to me,” she retorted. “Anyways, I should go pack,” she said after a while.

“And, where might you be going?” he wondered as the two of them went to fix the punching bag.

“New Orleans,” she said nonchalantly. “Landon and I are going there to gather some intel. I wanna go through some of my grandmother’s grimoires to figure out a way to help Jo,” she explained.

“Oh. Well, that sounds like a reasonable plan,” he said as they finished, aided by the tribrid’s magic. Hope just chuckled, and the two of them left the gym, and walked together to their dormitories, separating at Hope’s door.

* * *

Lizzie could still feel that tingling sensation on her lips from when she kissed Sebastian’s cheek. She had no idea why she’d done that. Maybe it was to reassure him, or herself. She walked back to her room, ready to go to bed and forget about tonight. Maybe she could sneak to the kitchen to grab some ice-cream. But, when she reached the door to her room, she noticed someone leaning against it. No, not just someone. Ethan.

“Oh. Ethan. Hey,” she stammered, weirdly nervous.

“Hey, Lizzie,” he said by way of greeting, but his expression was unreadable and he sounded cold. “Can we talk?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. Come on in,” she said, opening her room and entering it. Ethan followed her. She turned to face him and stepped towards him, reaching for him, but he stepped back. She couldn’t help the hurt she felt, and she looked away.

“What’s going on with you and Sebastian?” Ethan finally said, more like snapped after a few minutes of agonizing silence.

“Wh- what?” she stammered, her eyes widening in surprise. “N- nothing, really, we’re just- we’re not even friends. He’s friends with Hope, and-” she started to say, her heart hammering in her chest, but Ethan cut her off.

“Don’t lie to me!” he snapped angrily. “You have a thing for him. Matter of fact, you’ve actually been cheating on me,” he said, his voice lowered, though his tone was still icy cold. Lizzie flinched.

“Now, don’t start throwing accusations, Ethan, and just listen to me!” she yelled, feeling tears prickle at the corners of her eyes.

“Listen to you? So, you can lie to me about it? I know you two kissed, I heard you and Hope talking!” he snapped, and she winced at the hurt in his voice.

“Why were you listening on my private conversation?” she demanded, but her voice shook with emotion.

Ethan scoffed, rolling his eyes, “I’m a vampire, Lizzie, remember? Doesn’t take much of an effort,” he shrugged. “Well, you gonna deny it?” he demanded, but she stayed silence and looked down guiltily. No, she couldn’t lie to him. “Right. Guess I knew that. So, what? You in love with him or something?” he asked, but despite how angry he sounded, she could also hear the hurt in his voice, and her chest constricted painfully.

“No, I- I just- I’m just incredibly turned on by him, and I-” she stammered as she tried to explain, but once again he cut her off.

“You have the hots for him? That’s why you cheated on me and threw away everything we’ve had between us?” he demanded.

Her eyes filled with tears, “n- no I-” she tried, but he didn’t let her.

“I don’t thinks so. You’re not that kind of girl, Lizzie, I know that much. No, there’s something else. Some other reason. And, you know the worst part is that I spent all this time thinking how lucky I was that Lizzie Saltzman was my girlfriend. When, really, she’s pining after someone else and cheating on me with him. And, I feel bad for him, too. Honestly, Lizzie, the right thing would have been not to lead me along. Actually, you strung both of us along. But, I guess that just how little you actually care and how absolutely selfish you are!” he shouted, but she could hear the tears in his voice, too. He shook his head. “Well, congrats. Now, I know. So, you and I are done.” And, with that, he turned around and stormed out of her bedroom, slamming the door behind him. And, Lizzie was left staring after him, her mind racing, wondering how did it all go to hell.

With a sigh, she went and sat down on her bed, and laid down thinking about the past few days. Really, the past couple of months. Or, more namely, a certain dark haired, blue eyed centuries-old vampire. A few firm knocks on her door pulled her out of her reverie.

“Come in!” she called out, and the door opened to reveal Hope Andrea Mikaelson. Lizzie rolled her eyes and scoffed, falling back on the bed. “Oh. It’s you,” she sighed before returning her focus on her ceiling.

“Hello to you, too,” Hope snorted as she approached the bed. When she doesn’t say anything, the Mikaelson girl added, “you okay?”

“Just peachy,” she mumbled sarcastically, though her voice shook slightly, betraying her mood.

“Sure,” Hope rolled her eyes skeptically before plopping down on the bed next to her. “C’mon, scoot over.” With a theatric eye roll, she groaned before scooting over, making space for the other girl, and Hope lay down beside her, wrapping her arms around her. [Lizzie had to admit, it makes her feel a tiny better, but she still felt angry and upset after finding out about Sebastian, and at Hope’s betrayal, too]. “C’mon, Lizzie,” Hope drawled, “what’s wrong? You know you can tell me right?”

“Right. Like you can tell me everything?” she snapped, harsher than she’d intended.

But, Hope sighed and looked down, “okay, I deserved that. I am really sorry about keeping Sebastian’s secret from you, but that’s just it. It was _his_ secret,” she said, though Lizzie could hear the regret in her voice.

“Yeah, but you were _my_ best friend first. Maybe I’m being petty, but I feel like that should count for something,” she looked down, unable to keep the hurt from her voice. “Sisters before misters and all that,” she added with a sigh.

“I know. And, I’m sorry. But, maybe I was doing it partly for you, too. I mean- you seemed so happy with Ethan and I didn’t want to see you hurt. But,” she paused and sighed, “you’re right. I did kind of take his side. But, that wasn’t because I didn’t care about you. It was just that I- I knew what he was feeling, what he was going through,” she admitted, and realization dawned on Lizzie. _Of course_. Hope had gone through a similar ordeal when she came back from Malivore.

“Oh. Right. When we had all forgotten you. I’m sorry, I didn’t think of that,” she admitted.

“It’s okay. Like I said, I knew what he was feeling. But, you know the difference was that I had more people who I came back for. For Sebastian… you were the only one he was actually close to. He came back for you,” she told her, and Lizzie sighed heavily. “So, what’s going on with you and Ethan?”

“Nothing,” Lizzie muttered with a shrug.

Hope gave her a pointed look, “it’s not nothing. I saw that look when I mentioned him. What happened?”

“Well, we broke up,” she admitted. Hope’s eyes widened in surprise, but Lizzie could see that a part of her best friend was actually happy. “He knows, Hope. He knows I cheated on him. So, now it’s over,” she said, and brought her knees close to her chest and hugged them.

“Oh, Lizzie, I’m so sorry,” she told her sadly. Lizzie gave her a look, and Hope rolled her eyes. “Sorry,” she muttered. “But, I am sorry you’re hurt,” she added.

Lizzie nodded and the two of them fell into comfortable silence before she spoke up, breaking it, “you know the worst part is… the worst part is that it doesn’t actually hurt. I’m not that upset about it, not as upset as I should be,” she admitted.

“And, Sebastian?” Hope asked her.

“I don’t- I don’t know, Hope. I just- I am incredibly turned on by him, but there is something more, too. I- there is a connection between us, and I feel it, too. It’s mutual. I think it’s been mutual for a while now,” she admitted and sighed.

“I think… I think you should give him another chance, Lizzie,” her best friend told her, and Lizzie rolled her eyes, letting out a scoff. “And, I’m not saying this because he and I are friends,” Hope added quickly, but Lizzie didn’t quite believe her.

“Why then? Look, I know enough. He liked me because I reminded him of his old lover. Then we left the prison world and he jumped into Malivore and was erased from everyone’s memories except for you. Maybe it’s for the best,” she shrugged. “I heard you two talking earlier. That’s why I decided to confront you in the gym, but then I overheard more and I couldn’t keep it in anymore.”

“I’m sorry,” Hope said, sighing heavily. “But, don’t judge him so easily. Look, Lizzie, I know I said I wouldn’t pick sides, but I know things you don’t,” she revealed to Lizzie’s surprise.

“Really?” she asked sarcastically, though she had to admit a part of her _was_ curious. Hope nodded, sitting up, and she turned to face her.

“He cares about you. He does. He cared about you before, and he cares about you know. More than-”

“Don’t. You don’t have to say he cares about me more than her. He loved her. I know that. And, I remind him of her, so that’s why he cared in the first place!” she snapped, though the emotional edge in her voice betrayed her real feelings.

“And yet, he picked you over her,” Hope argued, her expression serious, causing Lizzie to freeze.

“What?”

“Yeah. Twice. Remember when we dealt with the Croatoan?” The blonde nodded. “Well, what nobody remembers now, is that Sebastian had a connection to it. And, he had the one thing that could destroy it. A pendant that belonged to Cassandra. And, he gave it up, so we could get rid of the monster. So it wouldn’t hurt you. He gave up the one thing he had of her to save you. And, that wasn’t the only time. Him getting out of the prison world? He almost ran out of time, Lizzie. You astral projected to him and told him how to get out. But, he wasn’t going to and he… sort of died- had a white light hallucination and saw Cassandra. And, he could’ve let the prison world get destroyed and died and spent forever with her. But, he didn’t. He gave that up, too, because he wanted to be with you. Because he wanted another chance with you. So, he chose you, again, and came back. Despite the fact that you would’ve forgotten him the moment he jumped into Malivore. And, he knew. I just think he ignored that when he made his decision… or, a part of him hoped it wouldn’t be true,” Hope admitted softly, and Lizzie sighed, looking down heavily. “Look, you don’t have to jump into his arms and ride off into the sunset. You don’t even have to forgive him. But, I think you should at least talk to him. I think you should give him another chance. Because he cared about you enough to choose you over her,” Hope added, and Lizzie nodded in defeat. [She always found it annoying when the Mikaelson girl was right, and years of their rivalry didn’t help. But, here Hope was being her friend and being right. So, she had to give her that].

“Thanks,” she said softly, her lips stretching into a soft smile.

“What are friends for?” Hope quipped, smiling at her. And then, Lizzie reached for Hope, wrapping her arms around her, and the Mikaelson girl returned the hug, embracing her tightly.


End file.
